Absence Procedures
How does Wheatley Lane ensure good attendance?
Wheatley Lane aims to provide a positive, welcoming and supportive environment. We emphasise to parents and pupils the importance of regular attendance and punctuality and we aim to offer a consistent approach to attendance matters through the implementation of procedures to record and follow up pupils’ absences and lateness, as well as praising and rewarding excellent and improved pupil attendance.
Morning routine
Parents and children will be welcomed as they arrive in school at 8:40am. This is a time where parents will have the opportunity to pass on a message or have a quick chat with a member of the school staff on duty. The school gates open at 8:30am but your child must be accompanied by an adult until 8:40am. Please do not arrive any earlier than 8:30am as access to the carpark is needed by staff.
What if my child is late to school?
If you are late, you will need to bring your child into the main entrance to sign them in and give a reason for being late. If you arrive after 9am, the register will be marked as an unauthorised absence for the morning session.
What should I do if my child can’t attend school?
Parents/carers must inform school of an absence before the register is taken at 8:45am. To report an absence, please ring the school on 01282 617214. A message can be left on the absence line giving the precise reason for the absence and the anticipated return date. Where a proposed date of return is not given, the same procedure must be followed on every subsequent day of absence.
Children who have had sickness and/or diarrhoea must remain at home and not return to school for 48 hours after their last bout of sickness/diarrhoea, in line with NHS guidance. Sending a message on dojo or email is not an acceptable way to report an absence as these cannot always be viewed in a timely manner.
If no contact is made before 9:30am by the parents/carers, a telephone call will be made by the office staff. A home visit may also be carried out. We will also ring the emergency contacts if we cannot reach parents.
The absence will be unauthorised unless a valid reason or further information e.g. medical evidence is provided.
Can my child go on holiday during term-time?
No holidays will be authorised during term time. If you feel there are exceptional circumstances then you should contact the school for a meeting with the Headteacher where it will be reviewed on a case by case basis. Taking 5 days or more unauthorised leave/absence for a holiday will normally result in a fixed penalty notice being served.
My child has a medical appointment, what should I do?
All medical/dentist appointments should be made outside school hours. If this is not possible, evidence of the child’s appointment must be shown to the school office before the child leaves school for the appointment.