Attendance, Absence and Holiday Reporting
Reporting your childs absence due to illness
The school works with the Education Welfare Service and follows their guidance for dealing with lateness and absence. School must be informed of absence on the first day by telephone, we have a voicemail service where you can leave a message before 9am. Any absence not explained is registered as unauthorised.
Please use the following number to report an absence:
0151 329 3164 opt 1
Please leave a voicemail and ensure you provide details of the reason for your childs absence. Please note that if your child is absent due to sickness or diarrhoea, they will be unable to return to school for 48hrs after their last episode. This is the government advice to reduce the risk of the illness spreading. For guidelines on this or any other recommended exclusion period, please see the guidance sheet attached.
Covid Guidance
Children and young people with mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough, who are otherwise well, can continue to attend their education setting.
Children and young people who are feeling unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home until they feel better. If your child does, however, test positive for Covid, then your child should stay at home for 3 days after the day of their positive Covid test, avoiding contact with other people, where they can. Your child can return to school and resume normal activities after the completion of the third day of absence and if they no longer have a high temperature and they feel well enough to attend.
All children and young people with respiratory symptoms should be encouraged to cover their mouth and nose with a disposable tissue when coughing and/or sneezing and to wash their hands after using or disposing of tissues.
The previous advice for remaining off school for 48 hours for children presenting with sickness or diarrhea from the last bout still applies.
Holiday or any other absence reporting
As of August 2024, the law ceases to include a leave of absence for a family holiday. A leave of absence should not be granted unless there are exceptional circumstances. Generally, a need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation would not constitute an exceptional circumstance.
If your request is for a child of Statutory School Age, and is for a period of 5 school days (10 sessions) or more, the law stipulates that the current penalties payable by parents are £160 if paid within 28 days reducing to £80 if paid within 21 days per parent/carer per child. If a second Fixed Penalty Notice is issued to the same parent for the same child, within three years of a first Fixed Penalty Notice, the second Fixed Penalty Notice is charged at a flat rate of £160 if paid within 28 days. Once two Fixed Penalty Notices have been issued, if a 3rd unauthorised leave of absence occurs within a 3-year period, the Local Authority is able to move to prosecution immediately.
If you are requesting an absence of less than 5 full days (10 sessions) for a child of Statutory School Age, and the absence is extended for any reason, including illness or delayed travel, you will be asked to provide evidence of your absence. If evidence is not provided and the absence is 5 days or more your file may be passed to the fines team.
The Exceptional Leave of Absence form must be completed and returned to school at least 4 weeks in advance of the first day of absence. We aim to respond to your request within 10 working days.
Please find attached a copy of the Exceptional Leave of Absence Request form which you can print at home, or you can collect a copy from the school offices.
