Attendance
Attendance and Absence
Regular attendance is one of the most important factors in helping children succeed at school. We work closely with families to promote good attendance and ensure every child has the best possible opportunity to learn, achieve and thrive.
Reporting an Absence
If your child is unable to attend school due to illness, please notify the school as soon as possible by calling us or using the Studybugs App before 8.30am on the first day of absence and each subsequent day.
If Your Child Is Absent for More Than One Day
We ask parents and carers to notify the school each day that their child is absent to keep us informed and ensure our attendance records are accurate.
Unauthorised Absence
If an absence is not reported to the school, it will be recorded as an unauthorised absence.
At Rothwell Schools, we expect children to achieve 95% attendance or above wherever possible.
Term-Time Leave
The school does not authorise holidays during term time.
Requests for absence should be submitted as soon as you are aware of the need for leave and, where possible, no less than two weeks prior to the start of the absence.
Applications for leave during term time will only be considered in exceptional circumstances. Family holidays would not normally be considered exceptional.
When requesting an absence during term time, parents and carers should consider:
- Will my child miss important learning and fall behind?
- Will the absence affect preparation for assessments or national tests?
- Has my child already missed learning due to illness or other absences?
Proof of illness may be required where a child is absent due to sickness immediately before or after an unauthorised absence.
Penalty Notices
Parents may be fined by the Local Authority for unauthorised term-time leave.
An initial Fixed Penalty Notice of £60 may be issued to each parent, for each child.
For example:
- Two parents
- Two children
A total fine of £240 could be payable.
Please refer to the Attendance Policy below for full details regarding attendance expectations and Penalty Notices.
School Day
Rothwell Victoria Infant School
- Gates open at 8.45am
- Morning tasks begin at 8.50am
- Gates and doors close at 8.55am
Rothwell Junior School
- Gates open at 8.40am
- Morning tasks begin at 8.45am
- Gates and doors close at 8.50am
For the safety of all pupils, children should not arrive before the gates open. Only pupils in Years 5 and 6 are permitted to walk to and from school independently.
What if My Child is Late for School?
Good timekeeping is not only important for learning but also helps children develop positive habits for life.
If your child arrives after the gates have closed, they must enter through the school office and be signed in. A late mark will be recorded, and a parent or carer will be asked to provide a reason for the lateness.
Arriving on time each day helps children settle quickly, complete morning tasks and make the most of every learning opportunity.
Medical and Dental Appointments
If your child needs to leave school during the day for a medical, dental or optician appointment, we will require confirmation of the appointment.
This can be provided as an appointment letter, email or text message showing the date and time of the appointment.
Children will not be allowed to leave school unaccompanied and must be signed in and out via the school office.
Where possible, we encourage appointments to be arranged outside of school hours.
