Attendance Information

HFCPS- Attendance Strategic Plan - 2025-2026

Holy Family expects that each child will record attendance of at least 96%.

Absence from School - Persistent and severe absence
Any child with attendance of 90% or below (regardless of the reason for any absences) is considered to be a persistent absentee by the government. This equates to missing ½ a day of school every week. A child with attendance of 50% or below is considered a severe absentee.

Medical Appointments

All routine appointments should be booked outside school hours. If your child is absent for medical reasons, your child’s school may ask to see ‘medical evidence’ (e.g. copy of a prescription, medicine packaging with a label or appointment card). If you are unable to provide this, the school might not authorise the absence.

Illness
If your child is too ill to attend school, you are expected to telephone at the beginning of the day to tell us what is wrong with your child. This applies if your child has been absent from school the previous day.
If you do not contact the school or the Headteacher is not satisfied that the absence could not be avoided, it may be recorded as an unauthorised absence.

Holiday Absence
The Headteacher will not authorise absence for family holidays during term time.

Punctuality and Lateness

Arriving late to school is unsettling for your child and can be disruptive for their teacher and other children in the class. It is important your child arrives on time. If your
child arrives late, this will be marked in the register. If your child arrives very late, this may be recorded as unauthorised absence for the whole morning. Be sure you know
the times the school marks pupils as late.

Ensuring regular and punctual attendance will:

• give your child the best possible start in life
• help your child make the most of educational opportunities
• instill your child with good time keeping habits
• prepare your child for the world of work

Please do everything possible to help your child attend school and support their learning. Shopping trips, birthdays, waiting for a delivery, outings, visits to/from relatives are NOT acceptable reasons for missing school.

It is important that children arrive at school on time. This encourages habits of good time keeping and lessens classroom disruption. If your child arrives late without a valid reason, this may be recorded as an unauthorised absence.
At Holy Family School children should be in school by 8.45 am daily to be in class and ready for learning at 9.00 am.

Do you know what your child’s attendance percentage is?

You can check this on your childs Arbor account

Your responsibility
You have a legal duty to ensure your child receives a regular education at school or otherwise, which will help give them the best possible chance of success in life. If your child is of compulsory school age and registered at a school, but absent without good reason, the school may choose not to authorise any of those days.

This could result in the council taking action against you for each child absent, including:
• A fine (penalty notice)*
• Attendance Prosecution through the Magistrates’ Courts which could lead to a fine of up to £2,500 or a parenting order being issued.
• An Education Supervision Order (ESO) through the Family Courts.

* Your child’s school may apply for the council to issue a penalty notice to you if:
• Your child goes on holiday without the headteacher’s permission.
• Your child is absent or late without a suitable explanation, or none is provided.

You may receive a penalty of £160 for each child’s absence if paid within 28 days, reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days. If a second penalty is issued in a 3 year rolling period the fne is £160 with no option to pay the reduced rate. A third penalty cannot be issued in a rolling 3 year period and therefore you may face prosecution in the Magistrates’ Court which could result in a maximum fne of £1,000.