Attendance
and Absence
All schools in Scotland follow National Policy in regards to Attendance and Absence:
· Section 30 of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1980 lays a duty on every parent of a child of school age to "provide efficient education for him suitable to his age, ability and aptitude, either by causing him to attend a public [that is local authority] school, or by other means". The overwhelming majority of parents choose to meet this duty by enrolling their child at a local authority school and therefore must ensure that their child attends school regularly. Attendance must be recorded by the school twice a day, morning and afternoon.
· If a parent chooses to educate their child by other means than sending that child to school, the parent is still under a duty to ensure that the child is being provided with efficient education. Under Section 37 of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1980, the parent has a duty to ensure that a child educated outwith school is provided with an education suited to age ability and aptitude and the parent must satisfy the Education Authority that the child is receiving efficient education.
Some children and young people are absent from school for long periods of time, or their learning is interrupted frequently due to ill health or hospitalisation. If this is the case, arrangements can be made for home tuition, if supported by medical information. The school can provide information about this.
· Regulation 7 of The Education (School and Placing Information) (Scotland) Amendment, Etc Regulations 1993 requires each child’s absence from school to be recorded in the school register as authorised that is approved by the authority, or unauthorised that is unexplained by the parent (truancy) or temporarily excluded from school.
· Parents must contact the school by telephone or in person by 0915 hours on the first day of absence, explaining the reason for non-attendance. It is important that the school is notified to prevent unnecessary procedures being followed e.g. in extreme circumstances, there may be a need to involve social services or police. The parent should provide a written note on the child’s return to school, confirming the reason for absence.
· Due to the avoidable disruption to children's education caused by family holidays in term time, the Scottish Government issued a new Circular on attendance and absence in 2003.
· This national circular makes it clear that without the prior agreement of the school, family holidays will be classified as unauthorised absence. Schools will only give such agreement in exceptional circumstances related to the well-being of the family. Within the terms of the national circular reasons which are not acceptable include the availability of cheap holidays, the availability of desired accommodation, poor weather in school holidays, holidays overlapping the end of term, and parental difficulty in obtaining leave (except in specific circumstances).
· The school and Authority seek your fullest co-operation in communicating to all young people the value of their time at school by ensuring that no learning and teaching is lost through unnecessary and avoidable absence.
· Parents may request that their children be permitted to be absent from school to make an extended visit to relatives. Only written requests detailing the destination, the duration and the provision that will be made for their continuing education will be granted and the pupil noted as an authorised absentee in the register.
· Clearly with no explanation from the parent, the absence is unauthorised.
Teachers have been advised not to supply work to be taken on holiday. Any catching up will have to be undertaken by pupils when they return to school and by taking extra work home.
At Gordon Primary School registers are taken twice per day- once first thing in the morning and again after lunch. If your child is marked absent and we have not heard from the parent or carer to explain absence then a text message will be sent out to inform you of your child’s absence. This is to ensure children are safe and have not left home and failed to arrive at school.
All schools in Scotland follow National Policy in regards to Attendance and Absence:
· Section 30 of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1980 lays a duty on every parent of a child of school age to "provide efficient education for him suitable to his age, ability and aptitude, either by causing him to attend a public [that is local authority] school, or by other means". The overwhelming majority of parents choose to meet this duty by enrolling their child at a local authority school and therefore must ensure that their child attends school regularly. Attendance must be recorded by the school twice a day, morning and afternoon.
· If a parent chooses to educate their child by other means than sending that child to school, the parent is still under a duty to ensure that the child is being provided with efficient education. Under Section 37 of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1980, the parent has a duty to ensure that a child educated outwith school is provided with an education suited to age ability and aptitude and the parent must satisfy the Education Authority that the child is receiving efficient education.
Some children and young people are absent from school for long periods of time, or their learning is interrupted frequently due to ill health or hospitalisation. If this is the case, arrangements can be made for home tuition, if supported by medical information. The school can provide information about this.
· Regulation 7 of The Education (School and Placing Information) (Scotland) Amendment, Etc Regulations 1993 requires each child’s absence from school to be recorded in the school register as authorised that is approved by the authority, or unauthorised that is unexplained by the parent (truancy) or temporarily excluded from school.
· Parents must contact the school by telephone or in person by 0915 hours on the first day of absence, explaining the reason for non-attendance. It is important that the school is notified to prevent unnecessary procedures being followed e.g. in extreme circumstances, there may be a need to involve social services or police. The parent should provide a written note on the child’s return to school, confirming the reason for absence.
· Due to the avoidable disruption to children's education caused by family holidays in term time, the Scottish Government issued a new Circular on attendance and absence in 2003.
· This national circular makes it clear that without the prior agreement of the school, family holidays will be classified as unauthorised absence. Schools will only give such agreement in exceptional circumstances related to the well-being of the family. Within the terms of the national circular reasons which are not acceptable include the availability of cheap holidays, the availability of desired accommodation, poor weather in school holidays, holidays overlapping the end of term, and parental difficulty in obtaining leave (except in specific circumstances).
· The school and Authority seek your fullest co-operation in communicating to all young people the value of their time at school by ensuring that no learning and teaching is lost through unnecessary and avoidable absence.
· Parents may request that their children be permitted to be absent from school to make an extended visit to relatives. Only written requests detailing the destination, the duration and the provision that will be made for their continuing education will be granted and the pupil noted as an authorised absentee in the register.
· Clearly with no explanation from the parent, the absence is unauthorised.
Teachers have been advised not to supply work to be taken on holiday. Any catching up will have to be undertaken by pupils when they return to school and by taking extra work home.
At Gordon Primary School registers are taken twice per day- once first thing in the morning and again after lunch. If your child is marked absent and we have not heard from the parent or carer to explain absence then a text message will be sent out to inform you of your child’s absence. This is to ensure children are safe and have not left home and failed to arrive at school.
