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Attendance

Student attendance continues to rapidly improve at Haileybury Turnford. 

Good attendance is a critical factor in a student’s success at school.  Our school target is 96% attendance for all students.

Contact email address: attendance@haileyburyturnford.com

Attendance Telephone number: 01992 308333 press 1 and follow the prompts.

Students must arrive at school by 8.35am.

The register will be called promptly at 8.40am.

Reporting Absence
Most students will occasionally be absent from school with good reason. Parents should telephone/email the school and leave a clear message stating child’s name/year/reason on the absence answer phone 01992 308333 then the option for your child’s year group before 8.15am on the first day of absence.

Please contact us by 8.15am every day that you child is absent by telephone or by email concerning the absence to attendance@haileyburyturnford.com

On the rare occasion where a parent has not contacted the school the school will attempt to make contact with them. Contact will usually be made using Class Charts.

Please note Haileybury Turnford does not operate a 48 hour return to school policy following an illness/sickness bug. Your child should return to school at the earliest opportunity.

Lateness
Students who arrive late should report to Reception where we take their name and a reason for their lateness. Parents/carers should inform the school if a student will be late to school.

Persistent lateness will be monitored closely and followed up with individual families.

Key information Click Here

When an absence has not been notified
The school has a system in place to alert parents/carers when a student is absent from school, but when there has not been prior notification of the absence. This means that parents will be contacted by telephone, email or Class Charts when a student is absent and no explanation for the absence has been received.

If we are concerned about aspects of your child’s attendance or punctuality, we will contact you to discuss the best way forward. Every child’s attendance is monitored regularly by our Student Attendance Manager and your child’s Year Achievement Coordinator.

Medical Appointments
Orthodontists and other medical professionals should be able to accommodate appointments outside school hours. Please aim for either early morning or late afternoon appointments. This will ensure that your child is able to complete at least a portion of their school day, and it minimises the impact of their absence on their progress. Let attendance or medical have a copy of your appointment card/letter/text.

Authorised Absence

• Illness
• Emergency dental/medical appointment
• Day of religious observance
• Family bereavement
• Attending an interview for employment, school, university
• Extended family visits abroad (only when prior approval has been given)

 Unauthorised Absence

• Day trips
• Visiting relatives
• Shopping
• Family holidays (see note below)
• Birthdays
• Looking after siblings or other family members

Holidays and L & A – points to consider

• Term-time absence is a significant factor in children’s under-achievement
• Children have approximately 14 weeks a year of school holidays – please consider taking family holidays during this time
• Children who find English or Maths difficult often find it even harder to catch up on work missed
• Parents do not have the right to take their child out of school for holidays in term time. Should you feel that there are exceptional circumstances that require you to take your child out of school during term time, it will be necessary to seek permission from the school
• If Leave of Absence is granted, the absence is recorded as Authorised. Since September 2013, the government has viewed absences for holidays as Unauthorised
• If the school refuses a request for term time Leave of Absence and the child is still taken out of school anyway, this will be recorded as an Unauthorised Absence on the child’s attendance record and school report, and a Penalty Notice may be issued. A five day holiday absence may lead to a Penalty Notice.

Application for leave of absence Click Here Please sign both forms.

Fines information Click Here

(The exceptional circumstance will be discussed with the Principal as to whether the leave is authorised. However, as a matter of policy, Haileybury Turnford will not authorise leave of absence for holidays in term time.)

If parents are in any doubt about what constitutes authorised or unauthorised absence they should contact the school’s Attendance Administrator.  If a student with low attendance is sent home then that day will be authorised but any additional days’ absence will require medical evidence in order to be authorised.

Any student with an absence percentage of less than 90% will not have any absence authorised unless medical evidence can be produced.

For your guidance the school considers attendance levels as follows:

98% – 100% = Excellent
96% – 97.9% = Good
94% – 95.9% = Average
91% – 93.9% = Below Average/Low
90% or below = Persistent Absentee

Encouraging your child to attend school
Make sure your child gets enough sleep and is up in plenty of time each morning. Ensure that he/she leaves home in full school uniform and properly equipped. Show you value his/her education by showing interest. Your child will bring home a school planner each evening. Look at this with your child and sign it weekly. Keep an eye on your child’s attendance in the planner, discuss it with them and encourage them to attend school even on days when they may feel under the weather. Contact your child’s Form Tutor to discuss the support that can be offered.

My child is avoiding coming to school 
Contact your child’s Form Tutor or Year Achievement Coordinator to discuss your worries. Your child could be avoiding school for a number of reasons – difficulties with school work, bullying, friendship problems or family difficulties. It is important that we identify the reason for your child’s reluctance to attend school and work together to tackle the problem. We have a number of staff on the pastoral team who would be able to help and advise you.

NHS Guidance: Is my child too ill for school?

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