If your child is absent from school, please let us know by telephone on the first day of absence and by sending a note on his/her return to school. If you wish to take your holiday during term time you can obtain a holiday form from school which, when returned, covers an absence of up to two weeks. Children are not allowed off the school premises during school hours without a written request from a parent.

Any absence which has not been explained by a note or telephone call has to be classified as “unauthorised” and included in an annual return made to the Department for Education and Skills. When it appears that parents have forgotten, we send out a short follow up slip for you to tick and sign. It is the reason for absence rather than simply parental permission which is the difference between authorised and unauthorised absence.

During the last academic year 08/09(these figures are up to and including 30th June 2009) there were 4081 authorised absences out of a possible 88132 pupil sessions (each day counts as 2 sessions).  In addition, there were 278 unauthorised absences, the majority of which I believe to have been legitimate but which we have been unable to confirm. 

The overall attendance rate was therefore 95.1% with 4.6% authorised absence and 0.3% unauthorised absence. Authorised and unauthorised absences for individual children are reported to parents on a child’s end of year report.