Attendance
Research clearly demonstrates the link between regular attendance and educational progress and attainment. As a school, we encourage parents/carers to ensure that their children achieve maximum possible attendance and that any problems that prevent this are identified and acted on promptly.
Banstead Community Junior School expects all pupils to attend school every day unless there are justified reasons. We also expect all pupils to arrive at school on time and be prepared for the school day. If your child is too unwell to attend school, the absence must be telephoned into the school office by 9.15 am on the first day of absence and daily thereafter. Banstead Community Junior School uses a ‘first day call system’. Therefore, if your child fails to register or is absent and we have not received notification by 9.15 am a call will be made to parents/guardians. In the case of long term or frequent absence due to medical conditions, verifications from a GP or other relevant body may be requested.
Pupils must NOT be kept away from school for reasons such as: holidays, visiting relatives, taking long weekends, shopping trips, birthday treats etc. It is not in your child’s best interest to miss any schooling. If your child needs to miss school for any other reason you must ask permission well in advance and give full details. The Governing Body of our school has ruled that holidays should not be taken within school term time. Such absences will NOT be authorised. Term dates are available from Surrey County Council two years in advance and are also available on our school website.
The school meets regularly with the Education Welfare Officer (EWO) to monitor and support regular school attendance and punctuality. Where families have difficulties that affect their child’s attendance, the EWO can provide helpful advice to the family.
The Education Welfare Service, acting on behalf of Surrey County Council, may issue a Penalty Notice as an alternative to the prosecution of a parent/carer for their child’s unauthorised absence from school and requires the recipient to pay a fixed amount. The amount payable on issue of a Penalty Notice is £60 if paid within 21 days of receipt of the Notice, rising to £120 if paid within a further 7 days but within 28 days. If the Penalty Notice is not paid within 28 days, the Local Authority must prosecute the parent/carer for failing to ensure regular school attendance under Section 444 Education Act 1996. Please refer to the School’s Website (Attendance Policy) for further details. Circumstances when a Penalty Notice may be issued:
- A Penalty Notice may be issued to parents/guardians who are failing to ensure their child’s regular school attendance and are failing to engage with supportive measures to improve attendance proposed by the school or Education Welfare Officer.
- Where a pupil is taken out of school (e.g. for a holiday) for 5 days (which can be made up of 10 sessions (am/pm) or more per term, without the authority of the Headteacher, each parent is liable to receive a Penalty Notice for each child. In these circumstances, a warning will not be given where it can be shown that parents had previously been warned that such absences would not be authorised.
- Pupils identified by Policy and Education Welfare Officers engaged on Truancy Patrols and who have incurred unauthorised absences.
- Late arrivals after the close of registration on five occasions during a half-term. The lateness will be recorded in accordance with the Punctuality/Lateness section of our School Attendance Policy.
- With the exception of unauthorised holidays taken in term time, parents/guardians will be sent a formal warning of their liability to receive such a Notice before it is issued.