Reporting Absences

Main school absences should be reported by email to yearteamabsences@ashbyschool.org.uk or by telephone to 01530 413748 x 202 by 8.30am on the day of absence and every subsequent day.

Sixth Form absences should be reported by email to sixthform@ashbyschool.org.uk or by telephone to 01530 413748 x 265.

All students should have full attendance unless they are absent due to illness. Students who are unable to come into school must contact the school by letter, telephone or email to explain the absence and give reasons for not being in school.

Students are expected not to take holidays during term time and not to make doctors' and dentists' appointments during the school day. Students have 12 weeks' holiday a year and are seriously disadvantaged if they take additional time out of school.

Attendance Matters

Missing school for just a few days a year can damage students’ chances of gaining good GCSEs.

Overall absence has a negative impact on attainment. Every extra day missed means students have a lower chance of achieving five or more good GCSEs or equivalent at grades 9 - 4 including in English and mathematics.

Students who have regular absence, patterns of unauthorised absence, broken weeks of attendance and high levels of absence for minor illness are unlikely to achieve their academic potential.

Ensuring your child’s regular attendance is your legal responsibility and allowing absence from school, without good reason, creates an offence in law and may result in prosecution. The Pupil Services Court Team has statutory powers to take legal action and, where appropriate, to prosecute parents and carers if they fail to ensure that their child receives a suitable education. Ashby School fully supports the Local Authority policy on fixed penalties for absence and will refer non-attenders to them.

The High Court has confirmed that schools, not parents, authorise absence. Parents may be prosecuted if they fail to ensure their child receives an education. The following sections of the Education Act 1996 apply:
•    Section 444(1): if  “a child of compulsory school age who is a registered pupil fails to attend regularly” at the school. This leads to a fine of up to £1000 per parent.

•    Section 444(1A): if “the parent knows that his/ her child is failing to attend regularly at the school and fails to cause the child to do so” without reasonable justification. This ‘aggravated offence’ leads to a fine of up to £2,500 per parent and/or up to three months' imprisonment.

Your legal responsibility as a parent or carer is to ensure that your children of school age receive a suitable full-time education, by either enrolling your child at a school or by making other arrangements through homeschooling / elective home education.

Parents and carers are encouraged to maintain good attendance by:
•    Making sure they and their child understand the importance of school attendance and punctuality;
•    Getting involved and showing interest in their child’s school work and activities;
•    Talking to the headteacher if your child has any issues which could affect attendance levels;
•    Not taking holidays during school term-time.

Ashby School fully believes that leave of absence during term time should be avoided as it can have a damaging effect on a student’s education. However, we do recognise that on occasions there may be extenuating or compassionate reasons that justify such leave. Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Headteachers should determine the number of school days a child can be away from school, if the leave is granted.