Trowse Primary School

Absence AND ILLNESS

Sometimes it is hard to know if your child is well enough to go to school or not. To help families know what to do for the best, the NHS has produced a web page with lots of specific information for families and carers to use to decide whether you should send your child to school or not. CLICK HERE to access this information.

If your child is going to be absent from school, you should contact your child’s school on the first morning of any absence.  You should explain the reason for your child’s absence and indicate when you think he or she is likely to return. You should also do this if your child is going to be late.

If you do not notify the school, the school will try and contact you. The school may also decide to record your child’s absence as unauthorised.

You can only allow your child to miss school if:

• They’re too ill to go in
• You’ve got advance permission from the school
• Unavoidable reasons, that you should let the school know about

These types of absence will be 'authorised'. 

Applying for leave of absence

If you know your child is likely to need to be absent from school for a specific reason, you need to complete a 'APPLICATION FOR LEAVE OF ABSENCE REQUEST FORM'. This form needs completing prior to the absence and handed in to the school office. The Headteacher will read the application, then approve the request, or decline, depending on the circumstances. 

The form you need to complete can be obtained by asking in the school office for a paper copy, or by downloading the form (Word doc) at the bottom of the page. 

If the absence is still taken but is not authorised by the school, it may result, if they meet the threshold of absence, in a fixed penalty notice. Taking a week or more holiday for example in term time would meet the threshold. 

If a family receive a fixed penalty notice the quickest and easiest way to pay a penalty notice is via the LA website, please visit www.norfolk.gov.uk/payinvoice

Missing school

Parents are legally responsible for ensuring that their child attends school regularly, and your child’s school will work with you to improve your child’s attendance. If this is not achieved, the school may refer you to the Children’s Services attendance team, who may issue you with a summons to appear in court. If parents are convicted in court, they may be fined up to £1,000.

In some circumstances, if the parents have knowingly allowed their child to be absent from school, they may be fined up to £2,500 or even sent to prison for 3 months.