It is a legal requirement for parents to ensure that their children attend school between the ages of 5 and 16 unless they have decided to educate them at home. Parents are responsible for ensuring that their children are at school for the 190 days of the school year. The remaining 175 days are school holidays. All pupils are therefore expected to be in school each day unless their absence from school is unavoidable.
Pupil attendance at school is monitored by the teachers, school office, the headteacher and by Kent County Council Attendance Service. The attendance monitoring process is as follows:
Ide Hill School uses a 5 step system.
1) Where parents do not contact the school to explain the absence, the office will call parents. This is called ‘first day calling’.
2) A discussion with the Educational Welfare Officer to identify pupils with an attendance record below 90%, monitoring trends in pupil attendance and lateness. Parents will be notified in writing.
3) Parents may be invited to meet with school staff.
4) School staff may initiate Early Help Action.
5) Schools may refer to the attendance service.
Absence Thresholds:
97% – 100% attendance – excellent
95% - 96% attendance – good
<95% - Worrying. The pupil has missed the equivalent of 10 days of learning.
<90% - Worrying. The pupil has missed the equivalent of 19 days of learning.
<85% - Cause for concern. The pupil has missed the equivalent of 29 days of learning/ half a term.
<80% - Serious concern. The pupil has missed the equivalent of 38 days of learning across the year.
<75% - Serious Concern. The pupil has missed the equivalent of 47 days of learning across the year.
Upon receiving a request for absence from school in term time:
1) Parents will be provided with a copy of their child's registration certificate.
2) Absence thresholds and consequences of unauthorised absence will be clearly stated in all responses from school, including KCC fines.
Absence will be considered on an individual pupil basis and only granted in exceptional circumstances. Please see the school attendance policy for further information.