At Queen Elizabeth’s Academy, we expect the highest levels of attendance possible to ensure pupils continue to progress and enjoy their education. Our aim is to have all students achieve a minimum of 97% attendance and ultimately aim for 100% attendance and punctuality.  

The information below should help both students and parents/carers ensure we achieve the highest possible attendance levels. 

The start of the academy day is 8.30am. The morning session starts at 8.55am. Registers close in the morning 25 minutes after the designated start of the academy day.

Student requirements 

We require all pupils to: 

  • endeavour to achieve the academy target of 97% 
  • arrive on site by 8.30am and to be punctual to all lessons 
  • inform their tutor of any problem or reason that is known in advance and may prevent their attendance 
  • gain permission to leave the academy site during the school day (for example to walk to a medical appointment notified by the parent) 

Parental requirements* 

All parents/carers should: 

  • provide the academy with up-to-date contact details of at least 2 emergency contacts 
  • ensure their child arrives at the academy in time for the start of the day 
  • inform the academy of any absence (as soon as possible on the first day of absence) and keep us up to date of any prolonged absence 
  • make applications for leave in writing on the academy’s leave of absence form, giving the reason for the request as far in advance as possible 
  • avoid medical and dental appointments during the academy day wherever possible, but notify the academy if their child has an appointment in school time 
  • not take holidays in academy term time 

Some simple tips that can help with punctuality include: 

  • establishing good routines (at night and in the morning) 
  • making sure your child limits their screen time in the evenings and at night – reduce the distractions of Smart devices, tablets, TVs or computer games 
  • setting an alarm clock 
  • allowing plenty of time to get to the academy in the morning 
  • arranging with family or friends to help or share the responsibility, especially if you have more than one school to go to 
  • talk to the academy attendance team or their tutor if you have problems getting your child to the academy on time 

Holidays 

In line with government legislation, our principals are unable to authorise leave for holidays during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. 

  • Parents will be informed within 7 academy days as to whether the request has been authorised or unauthorised 
  • There are 189 academy days (378 sessions) a year which your child is expected to attend 

We will not authorise absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. 

Parents/carers may apply for exceptional leave of absence by writing to the principal at least four weeks before the planned absence (including before the planned holiday is booked). Holidays will not be granted retrospectively, based on an existing booking. The application letter must outline precisely what the exceptional circumstances are. 

Penalty notices 

Since August 2024 referral for a penalty notice could be made in the following circumstances: 

  • reaching 10 sessions or 5 full days unauthorised absence over a ten-week period 
  • where parents fail to ensure that their child attends regularly even though support has been provided by the academy 
  • where there is a repeated pattern of unauthorised absence  
  • where a child is persistently late (potentially 10 sessions) over a period of 10 academy weeks and where these are signified as a “U” in the attendance register, they will count towards unauthorised session absence and may trigger a penalty notice.  
  • a penalty notice can be issued for a combination of absences including a mixture of holiday absence, lateness and other unauthorised absences. 

Local Authority Code of Conduct for issuing of Fixed Penalty Notices will be followed in cases of holidays taken without prior authorisation. 

You can find the application for leave of absence during term time on Reach More Parents.

The academy’s policy on attendance is regulated by Diverse Academies policies, and is aligned with Nottinghamshire County Council’s guidelines.

*for the definition of a parent and to understand the new attendance guidelines from the DfE please see the Trust attendance statement below.

Attendance statement

The updated Department for Education guidance on school attendance came into force on 19 August 2024.

Working together to improve school attendance

It is essential that your child attends school regularly. The government places expectations on all parents / carers* to ensure that our children achieve good punctuality and attendance.

A significant amount of absence equates to lost learning, and the subsequent potential risk of lower grades a child is capable of. For example, a child with 80% attendance each year, loses a full year of learning in secondary by the time they finish their GCSEs in year 11, or a year and a term in primary by the time they complete year 6.

Please be aware of the following:

  • The thresholds for enforcement for unauthorised absence have changed to 10 or more (morning and / or afternoon) sessions (equivalent of 5 full days) in a 10-week rolling period.
  • Legislation states that our academy principals cannot authorise any leave of absence in school time unless there are exceptional circumstances.
  • Holidays are not seen as exceptional circumstances for absence.
  • Unauthorised absence may incur a penalty notice.
  • Any penalty notice is overseen by and paid directly to the Local Authority; we do not benefit financially from fining.

Please be aware that:

  • A parent is defined as anyone with parental responsibility (PR) including step-parents and those in households where the parents have separated / divorced but still retain PR*.
  • From the start of academic year 2024-25 the penalty notice (fine) for unauthorised absence across the country is £80 per parent per child (if paid within 21 days) or £160 per parent per child if paid between Day 22 and 28.
  • In the case of repeated fines, if a parent receives a second fine for the same child(ren) within any three-year period this will be charged at the higher rate (£160) if paid within 28 days
  • Fines per parent will be capped at two fines per parent in any three-year period. Once this threshold has been reached, other action such as a parenting order or prosecution will be considered by the Local Authority.
  • If you are prosecuted it is means that you will have to go to court. You could get a fine, a community order or in exceptional cases, be given a prison sentence of up to 3 months. The court could also issue you with a parenting order

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Where we believe that a child has been on holiday rather than absent through illness, and we therefore record the absence as unauthorised, we may request that a fixed penalty notice is issued by the Local Authority. The burden of proof to demonstrate otherwise rests with the parent.

As part of our wider duty of care, in accordance with the safeguarding guidance in ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education,’ we will follow up any unexplained or unauthorised absence lasting for a number of consecutive days, with ‘safe and well’ contact checks.

We do understand that from time to time, it is not always possible to come to school due to illness. We would refer you to the NHS guidance (Health protection in education and childcare settings: exclusion table (khub.net) on illness absence before deciding to keep your child off school.

It would be extremely helpful to us (and your child) if medical and dental appointments can be made outside of academy hours. We can authorise absence if those unavoidable appointments in academy time are supported by evidence (which may be a text message from your GP or dental surgery).

As always, we appreciate your full support in ensuring that your child comes to our academy on time each day.

 

Note: * Section 576 of the Education Act 1996 defines a “parent” as:

all natural (biological) parents, whether they are married or not

any person who, although not a natural parent, has parental responsibility for a child or young person

any person who, although not a natural parent, has care of a child or young person