Attendance
At Herons’ Moor Academy, we believe that our community is stronger together, with all of our pupils in school, on time, everyday. We are aiming to provide a limitless education for your child through active, meaningful and engaging opportunities. By attending school everyday, we believe we can achieve this success.
We believe children who attend regularly are more likely to feel settled in school, maintain friendships, keep up with their learning and gain the greatest benefit from their education.
Attending on time every day also helps pupils form good habits which can stay with them throughout their education and on into the workplace.
Support for your child in school
Please remember we are here to help in any way we can. If you have any concerns about your child that you wish to discuss with us, please do get in touch.
You can contact us by visiting the school office, contacting teachers via email, speaking to teachers during pick-up times and contacting Mr. Beesley (Vice Principal) or Mrs. Tucker (Learning Partner) for attendance-specific enquiries.
Arriving at school on time
Arriving at school on time is not only essential for the pupil’s own learning, it encourages habits of good timekeeping and lessens any classroom disruption. Late arrival means pupils risk missing important information which can seriously disadvantage them.
Our school gates open at 8.40am and remain so until 08.50am. Pupils should aim to arrive at the 08.40 time wherever possible. We also have a breakfast club that opens at 7.45am that is bookable in advance.
- All pupils are expected to arrive at school in good time for the start of the school day at 8.50am.
- If a pupil arrives after 08.50am, they will be marked in the register as late.
Staff may ask to meet with parents/carers of pupils who regularly arrive late to discuss reasons for lateness and explore solutions.
Illness
Pupils should attend school on every day the school is open, unless they are really not well enough to.
Minor ailments should not be a reason for staying at home. If your child attends school when feeling slightly under the weather, do let a member of staff know and we will monitor them and contact you if we think they need to go home. If you aren’t sure whether or not to send your child to school, please contact us via the school office and we will be happy to advise.
If your child is too ill to attend, you must notify the academy before 8.30am on the first day of absence. If your child is ill for more than one day, you will need to notify the academy on each morning of the absence, unless otherwise agreed.
To report an absence, contact the school office on 01934 441901or via Parentmail
Please clearly explain the symptoms your child has, when the symptoms started, and when you expect your child to be well enough to return to school.
By law, schools must record all pupil absences and whether the absence is authorised or unauthorised.
Medical/dental appointments
Please try to avoid medical and dental appointments in school time. If this is unavoidable, arrange appointments so the minimum school time is lost. Unless it is an emergency appointment, parents/carers are expected to let the academy know about the appointment in advance, with evidence of the appointment.
Unexplained absences
The academy will follow up any pupil absences where the parent/carer has not contacted us to explain why, or where we are unclear about the reason for absence.
If you fail to notify us of the reason for your child’s absence, it will be recorded as unauthorised.
Where the academy has cause for concern about the reason for a pupil’s absence, staff may seek additional information or evidence from parents/carers, and/or make a home visit to verify the reason.
Unauthorised absences may result in a penalty notice or prosecution.
Important reminder about term-time leave
Attending school every day helps children and young people maximise their learning and enjoy the benefits of their education. It really does make a difference.
For that reason, the academy will not authorise any leave of absence in term time, unless satisfied the reason is exceptional.
We ask parents and carers to request permission in advance, and only if absolutely necessary. Any requests should be put in writing via the appropriate form (available from the school office and wherever possible with at least four weeks’ notice. The parent or carer who the child normally lives with should make the application.
Parents/carers are reminded that unauthorised term-time leave may result in a penalty notice or prosecution.
Legal action for unauthorised absence – including penalty notices
From 19 August 2024, if a child has at least 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in 10 school weeks, their parent/s may receive a penalty notice. (A morning or afternoon is one session; a whole school day is two sessions.) However, the government’s rules also allow for penalty notices to be issued for less unauthorised absence, in some circumstances, for example where parents appear to be avoiding the national threshold by taking several term time holidays below threshold, or for repeated absence for birthdays or other family events which the school has not authorised absence for.
Penalty notices are issued to each parent/carer with responsibility for the child and are issued for each child with unauthorised absence. For example, if two siblings have unauthorised absence, and there are two parents/carers with responsibility for the children, four penalty notices would be issued.
Please note: Penalty notices are issued to parents and carers as an alternative to prosecution and are intended to prevent the need for court action. A penalty notice may not be issued if prosecution is considered a more appropriate sanction for a pupil’s unauthorised absence.
Further information
If you have any questions about the information provided, or any other attendance-related questions, please contact Mr Beesley (Vice Principal) or Mrs. Tucker (Learning Partner) for attendance-specific enquiries.
