Attendance

Medical Absences

If your child is unable to attend school due to illness, please contact the school on the first day of absence to explain the reason. Parents are expected to maintain contact with the school throughout any prolonged absence.

Most illness-related absences will be authorised based on parental communication. However, where there are concerns about attendance patterns, frequent absence, or repeated illness-related absence, the school may request medical evidence.

Not all minor illnesses require children to stay at home. Wherever possible, children should attend school unless they are genuinely too unwell to do so.

Please ensure that contact details and emergency contact numbers are kept up to date. The school aims to hold at least two emergency contacts for every child.

Leave of  Absence During School Time

At Lady Katherine Leveson CE Primary School, we recognise that good attendance is essential for children to achieve their full potential and enjoy a successful school experience.

Parents do not have an automatic right to take their child out of school during term time. In accordance with Department for Education guidance, leave of absence will only be authorised in exceptional circumstances and must be requested in advance using the school’s Leave of Absence Request Form, available from the school office.

Requests should normally be submitted at least two weeks before the proposed absence. The Headteacher will consider each request individually and may ask for supporting evidence before making a decision.

If a leave of absence is not authorised and the absence is taken, it will be recorded as unauthorised. The school may refer cases to Solihull MBC for consideration under the national Penalty Notice framework.

Under national regulations, a Penalty Notice may be considered where a child accumulates 10 sessions (equivalent to 5 school days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling 10-school-week period

Attendance Expectations

We encourage all pupils to achieve attendance of 97% or above. Regular attendance supports learning, wellbeing and positive outcomes for children.

The Department for Education classifies children with attendance below 90% as Persistently Absent. Where attendance becomes a concern, the school will work in partnership with families to identify barriers and provide support through an attendance action plan where appropriate.

Illness at School

If a child becomes unwell or sustains an injury during the school day, we will care for them and contact parents or carers if we believe they need to go home or require medical attention.

It is essential that parents provide current contact details and inform the school immediately of any changes to telephone numbers, addresses or emergency contacts.