Late/Absence Procedures

Absence

Please call the school office on 01934 620141 to report your child absent from school and leave a message on the Absence Line Voicemail as early as possible on the day of absence.

Failure to call and record the absence will result in your child being recorded as an unauthorised absence. 10 unauthorised sessions (5 days) within a 10-week period could result in a penalty notice being applied (see below).

If your child is absent from school for a medical/dental appointment please inform school in advance and provide proof of appointment.

Late entry

If your child is going to be late for school then please call 01934 620141 and inform the school explaining the reason for the lateness, if your child will be having a school provided lunch then this must be ordered before 8.15am via the Aspens Website https://select.aspens-services.com. If you are unable to pre-order your lunch before 8.15am then please send your child in with a packed lunch. 

Exceptional Leave request

If you would like to request a leave of absence for exceptional circumstances then please complete the form below and return via email to office@ashcombeprimary.co.uk 

Exceptional circumstances

Are defined as:

• Forces Personnel on leave from a foreign posting
• Exceptional significant family events or circumstances – these will be considered on an individual basis with you.

The Headteacher will consider every above request individually but the following will not meet the criteria:

• Relatives coming to visit
• Cheaper holidays in England and abroad
• Family day trips
• Visiting family/friends that have different half term holidays and may include refusal to attend family weddings and visits to see family abroad.

Authorised officers have the discretion to issue a penalty notice without warning where the parent has chosen to take the child on leave during term time without authorisation or evidence is subsequently found to suggest a child was away from school with the knowledge of the parent and does not meet the statutory defences mentioned below.

Penalty notices

Under section 444 of the Education Act 1996, the Local Authority may issue a Penalty Notice to a parent or parents for unauthorised term-time holidays or consider prosecution.

A ‘parent’ includes any person who has parental responsibility or who has day-to-day responsibility for the pupil’s attendance under section 576 of the Education Act 1996.

From 19 August 2024, the new National Framework for issuing Penalty Notices comes into force and will apply to unauthorised holidays taken after 19 August 2024.

From this date the National Threshold for issuing a Penalty Notice has been met when a pupil has been recorded for an unauthorised absence for 10 sessions within 10 school weeks.  A ‘session’ is a morning or afternoon, and the ‘10-week school period’ may span different terms or school years.

Fines are issued to each parent, for each child, as below:

• First Penalty Notice [first offence]: £80 if paid within 21 days, rising to £160 if paid between 22 and 28 days.
• Second Penalty Notice [second offence of an unauthorised term time holiday within a three-year rolling period]: £160 [flat rate].

Only in very limited circumstances can a Penalty Notice, once issued, be withdrawn.

There is a national limit of two Penalty Notices that may be issued to a parent or parents in respect of the same child within a rolling three-year period.

If there is a third offence within a three-year rolling period, the school can refer the case to the Local Authority for consideration for prosecution at the Magistrates court.

If a Penalty Notice is not paid in full before the expiry date of the period for paying it, the local authority may instigate a prosecution under Section 444 of the Education Act 1996.