Absence Arrangements
Please find some important information below regarding absence management at our school. These changes will be implemented from Monday 4th November 2024 (after half term) and a review of our Attendance Policy in the coming months will reflect these changes. Please take a few minutes to ensure you are familiar with all the changes with regards to reporting absence to school.
Absence – Illness
If your child is absent from school due to illness, you must contact us using this email address (absence@bushmeadprimaryschool.co.uk) before 8.55am. Please do not communicate via any other platform, e.g. Class DOJO. Please do not call the office.
In the subject bar of the email, please insert the name of your child. Within the email, please include the reasons for absence (symptoms) along with an expected return date. If you do not have your child’s class details, please include their date of birth. ‘Generally unwell’ is not acceptable; you must be specific. A decision on whether or not to authorise the absence will be made from the information you share. If the absence is not authorised, an unauthorised mark for your child will be entered within their Attendance Record which could lead to a Penalty Notice being issued.
Absence – Appointments
Any planned pupil absences (for appointments) must be advised at least one day prior to the day of the appointment via the school attendance email (absence@bushmeadprimaryschool.co.uk). Please do not call the office.
Evidence, for example, a hospital letter or screenshot of the appointment details, must be sent at the same time. We are unable to authorise any appointments without evidence.
We would expect parents to ensure their children are attending school before and after appointments wherever possible, and to try and make appointments for non-urgent reasons outside of school hours. If this is not possible, a reason must be given to the school (e.g. treatment being administered at a hospital). Our registers of pupil attendance are legal documents and the information contained within them must be accurate.
If the absence is not authorised, an unauthorised mark for your child will be entered within their Attendance Record which could lead to a Penalty Notice being issued.
Absence – Term time absence
A Leave of Absence Form should be used when you are planning for your child to be absent for any reason (not illness) during the school term. Care should be taken when completing this form. You must ensure this is completed fully and supporting documents (e.g. flight confirmations) are submitted via email to absence@bushmeadprimaryschool.co.uk at least two weeks prior to travel. This form can be found on our website.
A decision on whether your child’s LOA is authorised or not will be taken from the information you provide on this form. The Leave of Absence form will not be processed without all the required documents. If the leave is not authorised, you are extremely likely to receive a Penalty Notice. Once the form is submitted, you will receive an email response from school regarding this.
Punctuality – Late marks
A late mark is entered into your child’s attendance register if they arrive at school after 8.55am. Any children arriving after this time must be accompanied by you to the front office. Please ensure you are making arrangements to ensure your child is not late routinely. Pupils arriving late to school after the registers close (9.15am) can receive an unauthorised late mark. If the reason given (e.g. traffic) is repeated or not felt applicable, the late mark is not authorised and an unauthorised mark for your child will be entered within their Attendance Record which could lead to a Penalty Notice being issued.
Sickness & Diahorrea
We are amending our guidance on the 48hr ‘stay at home’ guidance. Following a period of sickness (vomiting and/or diarrhoea), your child should remain at home for at least 24 hours. If you then feel your child is recovered (e.g. eating normally /no other symptoms), they can then return to school 24 hours from the last occasion of vomiting or diarrhoea. Please use your discretion. Any children with ‘active’ symptoms MUST remain at home.
