Absence from School
What you as Parent/Carer need to do if a child is absent:
- IF your child is going to be absent from school, please call or email the office in the morning; Please call before 9:45am to inform us of the reason for the absence, Tel: 020 8952 2803 (and press the relevant option) or Email: info@parkhighstanmore.org.uk with the child’s name, tutor group and reason for absence.
- You MUST call or email the school EVERY MORNING that your child is absent.
- The office is open from 7:30am – 4.30pm; Messages can be left on the answer machine when the office is closed.
- Please DO NOT e-mail tutors or Head of Year directly regarding absence.
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/
What we will do
If your child is absent from school and we have not received a phone call or been previously advised of the absence, we will call you on the contact numbers you have provided us with (in priority order).
What you need to do when the child returns to school:
- When your child returns to school, please enter a note in their contact book to cover the whole period of absence.
- Absence of more than 3 consecutive days, including days that go over a weekend will require proof of attending a Medical appointment, e.g. a stamped appointment card or they can bring in the medicine prescribed by the doctor.
- Should your child’s attendance drop below 90% we will require a medical note from a medical practitioner for 1 day of absence.
If you feel that your child is trying to avoid coming into school, please let us know and we will offer you support and help to address any issues or concerns you or your child may have.
Please ensure that all of the contact information is kept up to date.
Hospital, Doctor or Dental appointments
Please avoid making dentists, opticians, doctors or hospital appointments during school hours if possible.
What to do when Hospital, Doctor or Dental appointments.
- Appointment cards/letters must be provided beforehand if the appointment is during school hours and students must bring this to the school office.
- You must put a note in their contact book as well as the appointment card/letter which they must show to their tutor and the school office when they sign out.
- If you do not have an appointment card before they go you must obtain one once they have had a visit and they are to bring it to the school office.
- The school will not authorise an absence until we have seen a letter or appointment card.
Please ensure that all of the contact numbers you provide are kept up to date.
If you feel that your child is trying to avoid coming into school, please let us know and we will offer you support and help to address any issues or concerns you or your child may have.
Authorised Absence for Religious Observance
Attached is the guidance from the Harrow Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) with the dates on which it is recommended that authorised leave should be granted. These dates are set by representatives of local faith communities each year.
Requests for Exceptional Absence from School
Parents and carers are asked not to request absence in term time for their child as this is very unlikely to be authorised except in exceptional circumstances or if this is due to illness.
In January 2011 the Governing Body of Park High School determined that the school should not authorise absence for students during term time except in genuine emergency situations. Should you take your child out of school during term time this will be recorded as an unauthorised absence unless it can be proved that this is a genuine emergency situation. Should your emergency take you out of the UK we will ask you to provide the original travel details showing the date on which the booking was made. As a school we are duty bound to report all such absences to the Local Authority.
From September 2013 the Department of Education have informed all schools that attendance will be closely monitored and any absence categorised as unauthorised is likely to result in Harrow Local Authority issuing a penalty notice – a minimum of £60 per parent per child. Persistent unauthorised absence could lead to further fines and eventual court action.
We know that there are clear links between high levels of attendance and academic success and we do all we can to ensure that parents and carers understand this and work with us to make certain that as little schooling is missed as possible.
Unauthorised absence will also have a detrimental affect upon any individual’s chances of obtaining the highest levels of rewards in our twice yearly celebration assemblies as well as, in the upper school, negatively affecting their opportunities to achieve their much prized Graduation status.