Attendance
Hart Primary School and Northern Lights Learning Trust are committed to meeting our obligation
with regards to school attendance through our whole-school culture and ethos. We fully believe
that good attendance is central to raising standards in education and ensuring all pupils can fulfil
their potential. Pupils need to attend school regularly to benefit from their education. Missing out
on lessons leaves children vulnerable to falling behind. Children with poor attendance tend to
achieve less in both Primary and Secondary school. For these reasons, the Trust will proactively
work in partnership with all parents/carers to promote and secure good attendance and overcome
any barriers through proactive, strong partnership working.
Our school attendance policy can be found here:
Hart Primary Attendance Policy Autumn 2023
AIMS
As a Trust, we aim to:
- Promote good attendance
- Reduce absence, including persistent and severe absence
- Ensure every pupil has access to full-time education, which they are entitled to
- Act early to address patterns of absence
- Ensure all pupils are punctual to lessons
- Build strong relationships with families and ensure support is given if needed
Attendance is categorised below:
Each half term, we will communicate attendance to parents, letting them know which category their child falls into.
PROCATIVE APPROACH
As part of the Culture of school we encourage strong partnerships between home and school. As part of our staged approach we will liaise with parents/carers before day 5 of an absence in your proactive approach to support.
PLANNED ABSENCE
Attending a medical or dental appointment will be counted as authorised as long as the pupil’s parent/carer notifies the school in advance of the appointment.
We ask parents/carers to notify school in advance of the appointment by telephone or informing the main school office in person. Parents/carers must bring copies of appointment cards where possible.
However, we encourage parents/carers to make medical and dental appointments out of school hours
where possible. Where this is not possible, the pupil should be out of school for the minimum amount of
time necessary.
AUTHORISED AND UNAUTHORISED ABSENCE
Approval for term-time absence
The Headteacher/Head of School will only grant a leave of absence to a pupil during term time if they
consider there to be ‘exceptional circumstances’. It is important to note that Changes have been made to
the 2006 Attendance regulations in the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations.
These changes make it clear that Headteachers/Head of School may not grant any leave of absence
during term-time unless there are exceptional circumstances.
A leave of absence is granted at the Headteacher’s/Head of School discretion, including the length of time the pupil is authorised to be absent for.
Northern Lights Learning Trust define ‘exceptional circumstances’ as ‘unusual’ or ‘rare’ and each request
will be considered individually, taking in to account the specific facts, circumstances and context behind the request.
Exceptional Circumstances could include:
- Service personnel returning from a tour of duty abroad where it is evidenced the individual will not
be in receipt of any leave in the near future that coincides with school holidays.
- Where an absence from school is recommended by a health professional as part of a parent or
child’s rehabilitation from a medical or emotional issue
- When a family needs to spend time together to support each other during a terminal illness or death of a family member (compassionate grounds).
Evidence would be required.
Circumstances that are NOT be considered exceptional include:
- Parents’ employment restrictions
- Visiting family and friends who have different school holidays
- Availability of cheap holidays and cheap travel arrangements
- Celebrations of birthdays etc.
Any request should be submitted as soon as it is anticipated and, where possible, at least 2 weeks before
the absence, and in accordance with any leave of absence request form, accessible via the school office.
PLEASE NOTE: The Headteacher/Head of School may require evidence to support any request for leave
of absence.
The absence request will then be processed and a decision letter will be sent out. Any absence, which has
not been agreed in advance by the Headteacher/Head of School, is marked as unauthorised absence.
Please download and complete the form below to request absence from school. Completed forms should be returned to info.hart@nllt.co.uk
