Attendance, Punctuality and Absences
At The Park School, we want to see our pupils in school every day. We know that attending school positively supports their long-term life outcomes. Our staff have planned rich curriculums that offer the opportunities and experiences our young people need to acquire the knowledge and skills to prepare them for post-16. Every day in school is important for our children’s development
ABSENCES
We politely ask that when calling the absence line to explain about your child’s absence, please explain in detail what the illness is.
If diarrhoea and/or vomiting, your child must stay away from school until they have been free of symptoms for 48 hours (48hr RULE). Please call the School Office on 01483 772057 and leave a message on theabsence line before 9.00am each morning your child is absent.
Getting your child to school really matters. Did you know…
UNAUTHORISED ABSENCE
Unauthorised absence of 5 days or more may result in the issue of a Penalty Notice
Penalty Notices are issued by the Local Authority in accordance with Surrey County Council’s Code of Conduct. The Penalty Notice is £60, per child per parent or carer, if paid within 21 days. Thereafter, the amount increases to £120 per parent or carer.
If the penalty notice remains unpaid after 28 days, the Local Authority will consider a prosecution under s444 Education Act 1996.
MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS
We politely request that medical appointments are made outside of school hours, however, we understand that this isn’t always possible. Please email the School Office with the details of the appointment along with a copy of the appointment letter, email or text for your child’s school record. Please also let the School Office know if your child will be in late after the appointment or what time they will need to be collected.
LATENESS
Punctuality is highly important, students who arrive late to school are not only losing learning but also disrupt the learning of others as they arrive late for lessons.
The school gates open at 8:50am and all students are expected to be onsite by 9:00am when the gates close.
Morning Registration takes place between 9:00am and 9:10am, students who arrive after 9:05am are given a Late mark on the register.
Being late adds up…
We want to help families get their child to school on time. Here are some things you can try:
• Have everything you/your child needs for school prepared the night before
• Ensure that your child goes to bed at a reasonable time so they are not too tired to get up in the morning
• Ensure your child has a good night’s sleep by minimising their use of devices at bed time
• Have a consistent bedtime routine for your child
• Set an alarm to allow plenty of time for your morning routine in getting to school on time
END OF DAY COLLECTIONS
If there is a change to your child’s normal collection, i.e. they are going home with another parent, another family
member / friend is collecting or they normally go home on transport and you will be collecting instead, please
ensure you let the School Office know or write a note in your child’s diary. We would be grateful if you can provide
the name of the person collecting and a password, this really helps with any confusion at the end of the day.
Please click the below NHS link to find out when it’s best to keep your sick child at home and when it’s OK to send them to school.
