Attendance

Prince William School seeks to ensure that all students attend school regularly and on time, enabling them to maximise the opportunities available to realise their true potential.

The school will strive to provide a welcoming, caring environment whereby each individual feels valued and able to work to their potential. Improving attendance is the responsibility of everyone in the school community working in partnership: students, parents/carers, staff, Governors, and the Education Inclusion Partnership.

Lateness

Arrival after 8.55am will result in the register being marked as late (L). If a student arrives after 8:55 am, they must report directly to the School Office. As this is after the register closes, a ‘late’ mark will be entered onto the database and counts as unauthorised until an explanation is received. Regular late arrival may result in a detention. The Head of House/Year/College Director will contact parents of persistently late students. Parents should provide an acceptable explanation for lateness.

Absences

It is the parent/carer’s responsibility to ensure that their child attends school. Parents must inform the school of the reason for any absence. This should be on the first day of absence with the expected date of return, via telephone and confirmed in writing on the student’s return. The school will authorise acceptable absences, which comply with legal guidelines, e.g. bereavement, religious observance, unavoidable medical/ dental appointments, genuine illness and interviews, and inform parents of unacceptable absences (unauthorised) e.g. minding the house, caring for siblings, birthdays, shopping during school hours. If the parent/carer has not made contact on the first day of absence, the school will contact home as soon as resources allow to inform the parent/carer of the absence. The aim is to notify the parent/carer before lunchtime via text.

It is the school, not parents, who decides if a student’s absence is acceptable. The school can give permission for absence for exceptional circumstances. Requests need to be made in writing to the Head Teacher.

Students leaving the premises during school hours are required to sign out in Reception and provide evidence of permission being granted.

Parents will be contacted promptly if truancy is suspected, for lack of punctuality or non-attendance, and encouraged to work in partnership with the school. Individual student attendance data will be reported annually alongside achievement data at reporting points.

Holidays

Parents are strongly urged not to take family holidays during term time. Indeed, they do not have the right to take their child out of school for such a holiday. Only in exceptional circumstances can the Head Teacher authorise absence from school. The school has the right to pursue enforcement notices if parents act in this way.

If parents/carers decide to take a holiday without the Headteachers’ authorisation, the child’s absences will be marked as unauthorised. Fixed Penalty Notices will be issued by Education Inclusion and Partnership Team for unauthorised holiday absence during term time, payable direct to the Local Authority. The Penalty Notice is £120 per parent/adult for each student to be paid within 28 days, decreasing to £60 if paid within 21 days.

If the Penalty Notice is not paid within 28 days, the Local Authority may instigate legal proceedings under section 444 (1) of the Education Act 1996. If found guilty of an offence under this Act, parents will receive a criminal record and could be fined up to £1,000.