Attendance
It's our ambition that all pupils at King James aspire to gain 100% attendance (where possible) by the end of the academic year. We recognise that from time to time children are genuinely ill and of course we will support parents and pupils in these situations. We want pupils to attend school even if they just have just a sniffle as this helps them to build up their resilience and we generally find once at school pupils are able to do well.
The following information will help to guide you on the expectations for attendance and at the bottom of the page how we manage absence. You can also refer to our punctuality section found under the 'Pupils' tab.
Attendance School Newsletter.pdf
How do I report my child's absence?
Parents/carers must contact us on each day of absence ideally before 8.30am by completing the Student Absence Form. It can be reported after this time if needed.
What do I do if my child has an appointment during the school day?
All non-emergency medical and dentist appointments should be made outside of the school day where possible. If your child needs to attend an emergency appointment parents/carers should advise the office in advance by email or telephone. We also need confirmation of the appointment i.e. appointment card, text or email in advance or on return from the appointment. Unfotunately, absences for appointments will be recorded as unauthorised if evidence is not provided.
How do I seek permission to take my child out of school for exceptional circumstances?
Schools are only able to authorise absence from school in exceptional circumstances. In making a request for an authorised absence from school you need to explain why you feel that the circumstances are exceptional.
Please note there is no right to authorise absence for a family holiday. If you take your child out of school without permission the absence will be unauthorised and we may refer the matter for consideration of legal action. You will need to explain why you are applying for an authorised absence and the circumstances which make your application exceptional, and why the leave cannot be taken within the normal 13 weeks annual holiday your child already has from school.
Click here to download our Term Time Leave request form