School Attendance
Education provides a means of advancement for all young people and pupils need to attend school regularly if they are to take full advantage of the educational opportunities available to them. Irregular attendance undermines the educational process and leads to educational disadvantage. It places children at risk and in some cases it can result in pupils being drawn into patterns of anti-social or criminal behaviour.
Parents of children of compulsory school age (5-16) are required by law to ensure that their children receive efficient full-time education, whether by regular school attendance or otherwise. Nearly all children, of course, attend school. Parents are thus primarily responsible for ensuring that children attend, and stay at, school. The school will support attendance and take seriously problems which may lead to non-attendance.
Parental responsibility extends beyond securing regular school attendance. Parents should ensure that their children arrive at school on time, properly attired and in a condition to learn. Furthermore, they should see themselves as partners with schools in the education of their children. Parents should also impress upon their children the need to observe schools' codes of conduct and discipline and should support schools in the application of the codes.
Absences
It is parents' responsibility to inform schools of the reason for a child's absence as soon as possible, preferably on the first day of absence, and to provide such further information as may be required.
The precise arrangements for notification of absence, whether by parental notes, personal contact or telephone call, are for each school to determine. This information can normally be found in the school prospectus or the school will inform you direct of their requirements.
Schools are required by law to keep an attendance register and must mark whether a child is present or absent at each morning and afternoon session. If a child is absent, the register must also state whether the absence is authorised or unauthorised. Within the context of the law, absences can only be approved by the school and not by the parents. A headteacher can refuse to authorise an absence if s/he does not believe the circumstances justify the absence.
Parents should, therefore, co-operate with the school which will enable the school registers to be marked accurately and keep administrative work to a minimum. Wherever possible, parents should also provide an expected date of return when informing the school of their child's absence.
