The purpose of this procedure is to:
- Raise attendance
- Improve punctuality
- Raise the level of achievement
- Maximize opportunities both in school and in later life
The school community takes responsibility for attendance in aiming to ensure that pupils understand the importance of excellent attendance to the continuity of their learning and to their overall success at school.
1. Reasons for absence
Parents and caregivers shall contact the School Management via telephone if their child needs to be absent from school at the earliest possible opportunity. It is to be stressed throughout the procedure that a pupil should only be absent from school as an absolute last resort as continuous attendance is of the utmost importance to learning, attainment, achievement and overall success.
2. Authorized absence
Authorized absence means that the school has either given approval in advance for a pupil to be away, or has accepted an explanation offered afterwards as justification for absence.
Authorized absences shall include
Sickness (including seizures)
Hospital appointments
Dentist appointments
Religious observance where a specified day is exclusively avel sain
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Clinic for essential medical appointments for the duration of
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Funerals of close family members e.g Parents, Sibling, Guidance or Caregiver.
3. Unauthorized absences
Unauthorized absence is where the school is not satisfied with the reasons given for the absence. If an absence is unauthorized and/or unexplained, the following steps shall be followed;
The school will write to parents for detailed
explanation.
If no reason is forthcoming a telephone call will be made. Any absence considered not be a justified reason will
remain unauthorized.
A series of unauthorized absences will trigger a meeting with the Assistant Administrator and School Administrator.
Where pupils have persistent unauthorized attendance problems the School Management will bu invite parents/caregiver into the school to a formal 100 meeting with the Management.
If any child has not been registered or the school has not been notified about a child’s absence, the School office will contact the parent/caregiver on the first day. If the parent notifies the school of a child’s reason for absence, but the child continues to be absent for more than a week then an update check will be made by the school in the form of a telephone call. If the child continues to be absent then details will be passed to the Administrator who will decide on further action which will be to either write to the parent/caregiver.
4. Procedure for Unauthorized Absence
When no communication has been received from the parents for non-attendance, the Class teacher shall notify the Assistant Administrator, who will forthwith notify the School Administrator. Where there is no response, or a negative response, then the School Management shall decide on the action to take.
