Phone the school office by 9:30am to tell us why they are away or send a text or Class Dojo message. Please provide medical evidence if you have been to the doctor (appointment card or show the prescription at the school office). If school do not receive a reason for the absence then our Attendance Officer may visit you at home.
If it is impossible to phone then please ensure that you bring in a written note as soon as possible.
School Phone Number: 0115 915 5808
If your child is away and we don’t know why we will contact you immediately and may come out to visit you at home.
Miss School, Miss Out!
Punctuality Matters too!
Being frequently late for school adds up to lost learning.
Arriving 5 minutes late every day adds up to over 3 days lost a year
Arriving 15 minutes late every day is the same as being absent for 2 weeks a year
Arriving 30 Minutes Late every day is the same as being absent for 19 days a year.
SCHOOL STARTS AT 8.50AM AND CHILDREN CAN ARRIVE AT 8.45AM
Thank you for your support and co-operation by improving the life chances of our children by making sure they attend every day.
The government and Sycamore Academy are committed to maintaining high levels of school attendance. We expect every pupil to maintain an attendance level of 100% unless there are authorised reasons that occur.
Every child’s attendance and punctuality is monitored weekly, and we follow the Department of Education’s guidance to keeping parents and carer’s informed about their child’s attendance.
Miss Joseph and Mrs Senior will be monitoring your child’s attendance and punctuality, making regular contact in order to support you to make improvements with your child’s attendance.
Absence is not allowed for:
Holidays / Forgetting school dates / Oversleeping / A family member being ill / Siblings being ill
If your child has an appointment they must still attend school before or after the appointment, they should not miss a whole school day. School will only authorise the time for the appointment and travel time.
Remember, we will help and support you in any way we can to help your child attend school regularly and on time!
If your child attends school for less than 96% of the time it has been proven their education will be significantly affected.
A leave of absence will not be granted in term time unless there are exceptional reasons, irrespective of the child’s overall attendance. Only the Head Teacher may authorise such a request and all applications for a leave of absence must be made in writing/on a form provided by the school.
There are 175 non-school days during the year to spend on family time, visits, holidays, shopping, household jobs and other appointments. Days off school add up to lost learning.
Where a parent takes a leave of absence to which the application was refused or takes a leave of absence where no application was made, School will request a penalty notice to be issued by the Local Authority. The penalty notice will be issued to each parent of the individual child.
The first time a referral is made for a Penalty Notice for term time leave or irregular attendance, the amount would be £160 per parent per child if paid within 28 days, reduced to £80 per parent per child if paid within 21 days.
The second time a referral is made for a Penalty Notice, the amount would be £160 per parent per child, with no provision for reduction.
The third time a referral is made for a Penalty Notice for term time leave or irregular attendance, a Penalty Notice will not be issued and the case presented straight to Magistrates’ Court.
Any legal proceedings would relate to section 444 or 444(1A) of the Education Act 1996. Magistrates’ fines can be up to £2500 per parent per child, and cases found guilty in Magistrates’ Court can show on the parents future DBS certificate due to a ‘failure to safeguard a child’s education’.
