Attendance
The length of the Christ CHURch School week is 32 hours and 55 minutes
Please use this link to view our Attendance Policy.
Illness and Late Arrivals
Parents / carers are asked to contact the school office by phone or in person before 8.40am on the first day of absence with an expected return date. If the child’s absence lasts beyond this date, parents/carers must contact school again.
If no contact has been made to confirm absence by 9.30am, then the school will follow the ‘Unexplained / Unexpected Absences’ procedures to ensure the safety of the child and their family.
Our Administration Team will contact the primary contact and then subsequent contacts to establish a reason for absence. Parents and carers should respond to confirm absence.
If contact cannot be made, the Headteacher and/or Administration Team will then conduct a home visit in order to ascertain the nature of the absence.
If there are concerns about a pupil’s welfare at this stage, the police will be contacted and a request for a welfare check will be made.
Whenever the school is unable to contact a parent/carer, due to inaccurate or outdated contact details, every effort will be made to get in contact with the family. However, it is important for parents/carers to inform us of any changes to contact details. If an absence continues to be unexplained, it will be considered unauthorised.
Attendance Statement
WHAT THE LAW SAYS: By law all children of compulsory school age (between 5 and 16) must receive a full-time education. Section 444 (1a) of the Education Act 1996 says “if a child of compulsory school age, who is a registered pupil at a school, fails to attend regularly, without reasonable justification, then his (her) parent is guilty of an offence”. Children are required to attend school for 190 days (380 sessions) in any single academic year (September – July). There is an expectation that over the course of an academic year a child’s attendance will be 96% or more. Absence that falls below 80% is categorised by the Government as persistent absence. “…there is a clear link between poor attendance at school and low levels of achievement” (Department for Education)
New Attendance Penalty Notices
First Offence - The first time a Penalty Notice is issued the amount will be £80 per parent, per child paid within 21 days. This increases to £160 per parent, per child if paid after day 21 until day 28. Any non -payment of the Penalty Notice may be referred to the Magistrates Court.
Second Offence - (within 3 years) - The second time a Penalty Notice is issued the amount will be £160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days. Any non-payment of the Penalty Notice may be referred to the Magistrates Court.
Third Offence and Any Further Offences (within 3 years) - The third time an offence is committed a Penalty Notice will not be issued, and the case may be presented straight to the Magistrates Court under the S.444 of the Education Act (1996) or other legal interventions considered. The Magistrate Court can order fines up to £2500 per parent, per child.
Please see the letter from Oldham Council below for further clarification.
Attendance Penalty Notice Fact Sheet
