Regular attendance is extremely important and parents are asked to encourage their children to aim for the highest standards of attendance and punctuality. Family holidays should not be arranged in term time. Where a family holiday is taken in term time against advice with no specific return date, the pupil can be taken off roll. There is also the possibility of a penalty fine in these circumstances.
Parents are asked to telephone the school on the first day of any unavoidable absence and any subsequent day their child is absent. An absence note should also be sent in with their child on return. In the case of a long absence contact must be maintained with the school every few days.
Medical appointments, where possible, should be made outside of school hours in order to minimise disruption to learning. If an appointment is made during school hours, please ensure your child has a note on them for the time they need to sign out and an indication of the time they will be returning.
Any problems may be referred to the school’s Attendance Officer.
When absence is unexplained the school may telephone parents or send an unauthorised absence letter.
Please note that the school can issue Fixed Penalty Notices for unauthorised absence. This can entail a fine of £60 per parent.
We are also working very closely with the Portsmouth City Council to improve attendance. For more information please follow this link.