Regular school attendance is an important part of giving you the best possible start in life. Students who miss school frequently can fall behind with their work and do less well in exams. Good attendance shows potential employers that you are reliable. Research suggests that students who attend school regularly could also be at less risk of getting involved in antisocial behaviour or crime. Below is a table showing how your percentage attendance equates to the amount of school time missed.

Should attendance fall to below 92% we will send a letter informing you of our concerns. We will ask for medical evidence to be supplied to our attendance team in order for any further absences to be authorised. This can be in the form of an appointment card, prescription or medical letter.

Unauthorised absences can lead to more formal legal monitoring and you could be at risk of being issued a Fixed Penalty Notice

Should attendance fall below 90% you may be invited into school so we can support you in improving your child’s attendance. A child with attendance below 90% is classed as being “persistently absent”, schools are expected to take action to address this are of concern. We are committed to working in partnership with parents to ensure students’ have the best possible chance of achieving their full potential.

If you arrive late to school every day, your learning begins to suffer. Below is a graph showing how being late to school every day over a school year adds up to lost learning time.

As you will all be aware, current attendance regulations stipulate a Headteacher may not grant a leave of absence during term-time unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Each application for a leave of absence will be considered on a case by case basis and on its own merits. It is for the Headteacher to decide what he/she views as ‘exceptional’ and it is at their discretion if the circumstances warrant the leave to be granted. If the leave is granted, the head teacher is able to determine the number of school days a child can be absent for.

The school can only consider Leave of Absence requests which are made by the ‘resident’ parent. Where applications for leave of absence are made in advance and refused, the child will be required to be in school on the dates set out in the application.

If the child is absent during that period, it will be recorded as an unauthorised absence, which may result in legal action being taken against the parent(s), by way of a Fixed Penalty Notice. Failure to make an application for leave in advance can also result in a Fixed Penalty Notice being issued to the parent(s).

Where a Fixed Penalty Notice is issued and not paid within the required timeframe as set out on the notice, the matter will be referred to North Tyneside Council’s Legal Services to consider instigating criminal proceedings under S444 Education Act 1996.

Parents are asked to respect the new regulations under which the school must work and if there is a need to take a child out of school during term-time, an application or request must be made in advance and make clear how the circumstances are exceptional.

In September 2013, the Government introduced some significant changes to attendance regulations for pupils at school. Headteachers are no longer permitted to authorise leave for holidays and can only grant leave of absence in exceptional circumstances.

School Attendance North Tyneside Click here

Government Attendance & Absence Click here