On this page you will find the school procedures for Attendance at The Annunciation Catholic Infant School. Please take time to read them as they must be followed by you and the school, according to instructions from the Department for Education and Skills and advice from the Education Welfare Officer from the London Borough of Barnet.

Absences

If your child is not attending school for any reason, please telephone the school on the first day of absence, and state the reason for their absence. You do not need to phone every day, but if the illness goes over a weekend, please call again on the Monday.

If the school has not heard from a parent/carer as to why their child is absent on the first day of absence, the school may telephone them.

Requests for Absence

Parents do not have a statutory right to leave of absence during term time and we are not permitted to authorise any requests for holiday absence.

Family holidays should be taken during school holidays. If, in exceptional circumstances, you need to request permission for your child to accompany you on a family holiday during term-time, you should in the first instance, arrange an appointment with the Head Teacher. You should then complete an application form, at least three weeks in advance, stating the reason why the holidays must be taken in term-time. The Head Teacher has the right to refuse permission, having given consideration to:

- your child’s age

- the time of year

- overall pattern of your child’s attendance.

The Head Teacher is highly unlikely to approve your child’s absence if the timing of the holiday coincides with SATs.

The school recognises that such trips are sometimes necessary and help children keep in touch with their extended family. Contact the school as soon as possible to discuss the best time for such a visit.

The school would strongly recommend that such visits do not take place during your child’s SAT years. You need to first arrange an appointment with the Head Teacher and then complete an application form for extended leave of absence.

Be aware that an extended leave of absence is not always in your child’s best interest. Children often find it difficult to settle back into school routines having been away for a long period of time and work that they miss out on while away cannot easily be caught up on.

If the school approves an extended leave absence, the child will be expected to return on the date specified on the request form. Failure to do so will result in any extra time being classified as an unauthorised absence.

 If a pupil goes on holiday without authorisation the Head Teacher has the power to issue Fixed-penalty Notices of £60, rising to £120 if not paid within 28 days (Anti-social Behaviour Act 2004).

Please try to make medical appointments out of school hours.

The attendance and punctuality of all pupils are closely monitored by the Education Welfare Officer from the London Borough of Barnet. The school’s endeavours in trying to reduce absence are also monitored.