Reporting A Child Absent

 Absence Reporting

Please remember that Parents/Carers have a legal duty to report pupil absence to the school by 9.00 am on each day of absence. (Unless the school is closed).

  
In the first instance, please use our 'EduLink One' App:

Click Here For Further Details!

If you have not yet installed the 'EduLink One' App, then you may use the form at the bottom of this page. Please note that we will be discontinuing the use of this form in the near future and encourage all Parents/Carers to download and use the 'EduLink One' App.

Did you know?

• Last year 1 in 5 children in Portsmouth missed a week of school because of unauthorized absence, leaving gaps in their learning.
• Each day of school missed by a child will reduce their attendance by 0.5%, and will mean they miss five lessons.  Ten whole days of school has been missed if a pupil has 95% attendance - that's 50 lessons.  Twenty whole days of school has been missed if a pupil's attendance is 90%.  Catching up on missed lessons impacts on the pupil, the teacher and other pupils in that class.
• If a pupil is persistently absent (90% attendance) they have missed 4 weeks of schooling.
• Being 15 minutes late each day is the same as missing two weeks of school over the year.

Please click here for further information from the LEA's Schools Attendance Team.

If Your Child Is Unwell

When your child is unwell, it can be hard deciding whether to keep them off school.  A few simple guidelines can help.

Not every illness needs to keep your child from school.  If you keep your child away fro school, be sure to inform the school before 9am on each day of their absence using the contact details above.  The School has a duty of care to account for every student within the school and if we do not hear from you as to why your child is absent then a text home will be issued.  

Use common sense when deciding whether or not your child is too ill to attend school.  Ask yourself the following questions:

• Is your child well enough to do the activities of the school day? If not, keep your child at home.
  
  
• Does your child have a condition that could be passed on to other children or school staff? If so, keep your child at home.
  
  
• Would you take a day off work if you had this condition? If so, keep your child at home.

Common Conditions

If your child is ill, it's quite likely to be due to a minor health condition. Whether you send your child to school will depend on how severe you think the illness is. This guidance below can help you make that judgement.

Remember:
If you are unsure or concerned about your child's health, always consult a health professional.

• Cough and Cold.  A child with a minor cough or cold may attend school. If the cold is accompanied by a raised temperature, shivers or drowsiness, the child should staff off school, visit the GP and return to school 24 hours after they start to feel better.  If your child has a more severe and long-lasting cough, consult your GP.  They can give guidance on whether the child should stay off school. 
  
  
• Raised temperature.  If your child has a raised temperature, they should't attend school.  They can return 24 hours after they start to feel better. 
  
  
• Rash.  Rashes can be the first sign of many infectious illnesses, such as chickenpox and measles.  Children with these conditions shouldn't attend school.  If your child has a rash, check with your GP or practice nurse before sending them to school.
  
  
• Headache.  A child with a minor headache doesn't actually need to be kept off school.  If the headache is more severe or is accompanied by other symptoms, such as raised temperature or drowsiness, then keep the child off school and consult your GP.
  
  
• Vomitting and Diarrhoea.  Children with these conditions should be kept off school.  They can return 48 hours after their symptoms disappear.   
  
  
• Conjunctivitis.  Children can return to school 48 hours after treatment has commenced.  In severe cases children should remain at home until the infection has cleared.
  
  
• Impetigo.  Children must remain at home until lesions have crusted and healed or 48 hours after commencing antibiotic treatment.

Click here to view our Medication & Attendance Policies.

Pupil Leave of Absence in Term Time

Pupils attend school for a maximum of 190 days each academic year. We always strongly recommend that children's regular attendance in school is vital to promote and support their steady and successful learning. Absences due to holidays, taken during term time, could hinder academic attainment. We do however recognise that in very exceptional circumstances parents may need to request term-time absence from school for their child.

The Government has introduced some significant changes to attendance regulations for pupils at school from 1st September 2013. The most important of these is in relation to term-time family holidays. Below is a quotation directly from the Department of Education Circular:

'Amendments to the 2006 regulations remove references to family holidays and extended leave as well as the statutory threshold of ten school days. The amendments make clear that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.'

If, due to highly exceptional circumstances, you need to seek permission for absence from school in term time for your child you may access the necessary application form by clicking the document below entitled 'Application form for pupil leave of absence in term time). Please print a copy of the form, complete it and arrange for the student to bring into school and pass to their Head of Learning.  Alternatively, email the completed form to school@saintedmunds.org.uk 

Please ensure that any evidence is attached to the LOAF form to support your request.

Absence Reporting Form

Please ensure that all fields are completed before submitting your information. After submission you should see a green completion message. If it is red, please re-check your information and try submitting again.