Attendance
We are keen to work with parents to ensure all pupils receive their full entitlement to education. It is essential for your child’s continual progress that absences are kept to a minimum. Parents are strongly recommended not to take annual holidays, dental or medical appointments during school times. If this is unavoidable, you must request permission from the school by completing an Absence Form from the office. It is important that we are kept informed about any absence from school. If your child is unable to attend school, the procedure is to phone the school on the first day of absence explaining the reason they are absent, followed by a note when the child returns to school. The school has a statutory responsibility to keep detailed records and to report school attendance to the Local Authority.
First day calling and notification of absence
The school has in place a system of first day calling. This means that parents will be telephoned by 9.30am on the first day a pupil is absent by with no explanation, to establish a reason for absence.
If your child is going to be absent from school, please telephone the school office on 01728 602407 on the day, informing the reason for absence. Alternately you could send an email to admin@benhallschool.co.uk
Illness at School
If your child becomes ill at school and is not well enough to stay we will contact you. Please ensure you keep us up to date with emergency contact numbers (mobile telephone numbers) to assist in this matter.
Medicines
Our policy follows the Department of Education and states that teachers should not administer medicines to pupils. If in exceptional circumstances a medicine does need to be given during the day we have a form that you are required to sign. If your child needs an inhaler please make sure they know how and when to use it.
Holidays in Term Time
Please consider:
While you are away for 1 week your child will miss approximately:
- 5 hours of maths
- 5 hours of literacy
- 10 hours of science, religious education, music, art, physical education, geography, history, design & technology and information technology
If your child has a holiday of 2 weeks during term time and has a 1 week period of sickness in one school year they will miss:
- 15 hours of literacy
- 15 hours of maths
- 30 hours of learning other subjects
If this pattern were to be repeated throughout your child’s school life they would miss 36 weeks of their education!
Success in school is first and foremost about turning up! Children who come to school more always do better. Please see Term Dates and School Day page for timings. Don't be late!
EWO involvement
Where there is an emerging pattern of a pupil's absence, the school will invite parents to a meeting to discuss the reasons for absences. Support may be offered or put in place in order to improve a pupil's attendance. If there continues to be unauthorised absences, the matter will be referred to the Education Welfare Officer (EWO). Referrals to the EWO service may occur after six continuous sessions of unauthorised absence (three school days) or where we have identified a set pattern of unauthorised absences totalling six sessions (for example, consistently missing school on a Friday for three weeks running).