Attendance
At St Margaret’s we firmly believe that every day counts.
We expect all pupils to attend school every day and arrive ready to learn at 8:55am.
No holidays will be authorised during term time, in accordance with national and local authority guidelines. The only absences that will be authorised will be for exceptional circumstances* and these are at the discretion of the Head Teacher and must be made in writing using the school's Absence Request Form (available from the leaflet rack in the school lobby). A single day will be authorised for any religious observance. Any unauthorised absence may result in a fixed term penalty of £60 per parent, per child. If a pupil's attendance falls below 85% they will automatically receive support from the Educational Welfare Officer (EWO)
* Circumstances that are not considered exceptional include: family holidays to visit relatives, cheap holidays during term time, holidays that fit around work schedules, birthdays, visiting relatives, resting after a late night, any form of shopping.
Absence
If your child is unwell please contact the school office (01935 822686) or submit an absence on ParentMail before 9:30am on the first day of absence, clearly stating the nature of the illness. (Evidence may be required - Doctor's note etc).
Any pupil suffering from sickness or diarrhoea must be kept away from school for 48 hours from the last episode.
Unless arranged otherwise, please call the office on each subsequent day of absence.
You may find the information here useful if you are not sure whether your child should come to school.
Taking your child out of school
If you are taking your child out of school during the school day for any reason please make sure you sign them out in the blue book in the office (and sign them back in if they return later).
Ideally, medical appointments should be made outside school hours but, if this is not possible, please bring in an appointment card or letter and ensure we are informed beforehand.
Arriving late
Arriving on time, at 8.55am, is important so that your child and the rest of their class have a calm, uninterrupted start to their learning day. Children arriving at school after registration should be brought to the office by an adult and signed in stating the reason for lateness.
On advice from Somerset County Council (Education), children are expected to have attendance levels of 96% or above. Below this threshold, children do develop gaps in their learning. If your child's attendance falls below 90% due to a term time holiday, then a penalty notice will be served.
We expect all pupils to attend school every day and arrive ready to learn at 8:55am.
No holidays will be authorised during term time, in accordance with national and local authority guidelines. The only absences that will be authorised will be for exceptional circumstances* and these are at the discretion of the Head Teacher and must be made in writing using the school's Absence Request Form (available from the leaflet rack in the school lobby). A single day will be authorised for any religious observance. Any unauthorised absence may result in a fixed term penalty of £60 per parent, per child. If a pupil's attendance falls below 85% they will automatically receive support from the Educational Welfare Officer (EWO)
* Circumstances that are not considered exceptional include: family holidays to visit relatives, cheap holidays during term time, holidays that fit around work schedules, birthdays, visiting relatives, resting after a late night, any form of shopping.
Absence
If your child is unwell please contact the school office (01935 822686) or submit an absence on ParentMail before 9:30am on the first day of absence, clearly stating the nature of the illness. (Evidence may be required - Doctor's note etc).
Any pupil suffering from sickness or diarrhoea must be kept away from school for 48 hours from the last episode.
Unless arranged otherwise, please call the office on each subsequent day of absence.
You may find the information here useful if you are not sure whether your child should come to school.
Taking your child out of school
If you are taking your child out of school during the school day for any reason please make sure you sign them out in the blue book in the office (and sign them back in if they return later).
Ideally, medical appointments should be made outside school hours but, if this is not possible, please bring in an appointment card or letter and ensure we are informed beforehand.
Arriving late
Arriving on time, at 8.55am, is important so that your child and the rest of their class have a calm, uninterrupted start to their learning day. Children arriving at school after registration should be brought to the office by an adult and signed in stating the reason for lateness.
On advice from Somerset County Council (Education), children are expected to have attendance levels of 96% or above. Below this threshold, children do develop gaps in their learning. If your child's attendance falls below 90% due to a term time holiday, then a penalty notice will be served.
| attendance__policy_2018-20.pdf |
| term_time_holiday_letter_-_june_2016.pdf |