Attendance is Important

Any absence affects the pattern of a child’s schooling and regular absence will seriously affect their learning. Research shows that almost half of children who miss 15 days of school a year do not reach the expected levels at the end of primary school.

Any pupil’s absence disrupts teaching routines so may affect the learning of others in the same class. Children are best safeguarded from exploitation and other risks in the wider community by attending school regularly where they are supervised by qualified and caring professionals.

Ensuring a child’s regular attendance at school is the legal responsibility of parents and registered carers and permitting absence from school without a good reason creates an offence in law and may result in prosecution.

Unplanned Absence

The pupil’s parent must notify the school of the reason for the absence on the first day of an unplanned absence by 8.30am or as soon as practically possible, by calling the school office staff, who can be contacted via 01235 817744 and/or office.3852@northbourne.oxon.sch.uk. Please be honest about the reason for absence.

We will mark absence due to physical or mental illness as authorised, unless the school has a genuine concern about the authenticity of the illness.

Where the absence is longer than 5 days, or there are doubts about the authenticity of the illness, the school will ask for medical evidence, such as a doctor’s note, prescription, appointment card or other appropriate form of evidence. We will not ask for medical evidence unnecessarily.

If the school is not satisfied about the authenticity of the illness, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised and parents will be notified of this in advance.

Planned Absence

We encourage parents to make medical and dental appointments out of school hours where possible. Where this is not possible, the pupil should be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary.

Any planned appointment (medical or dental) or other absence, that is going to be longer than a couple of hours,  must be requested in advance using this online form: Absence Request Form

If the appointment or other absence is going to be for less than a couple of hours, please contact the School Office by phone or email, 24 hours before the appointment takes place.

The school will consider your request and will aim to respond within 48 hours via email.

Holidays during term time will not be authorised. 

Attendance Policy

Please follow the link within the School Policies & Procedures tab for our Attendance Policy.