Attendance at Lydiard
We are very proud of the fact that our children like coming to school.
What we do to encourage good attendance:
- Exciting, fun lessons with great after school clubs & extension activities
- Praise good attendance and this is detailed in newsletters
- Carefully monitoring & intervention if a child starts to have a pattern of non-attendance
- Encouraging parents not to take children out of school time for holidays (these are not authorised)
- Adhering to the Wiltshire Policy for attendance & taking children out of school.
ABSENCE REQUESTS
At Lydiard Millicent CE Primary if parents wish that their child is absent for school for whatever reason this request should be put in writing to the headteacher by completing the leave of absence form (download available below).
The headteacher’s decision on each matter is final and will be supported by the governing body.
The local governing body for both schools have defined ‘exceptional reasons’ as follows:
- Absence due to bereavement of close family / friend of the family
- A family wedding or other celebration – in the UK a maximum of 3 days would be authorised allowing for traveling to and from the event. Up to 5 days would be authorised if the event took place outside the UK but within Europe. Up to 10 days would be authorised if the
- event took place outside Europe.
- A significant religious event
- A family crisis, when a family would benefit from time together
- When a parent is a member of the armed forces and is prevented from taking holiday during school holidays
- When holiday dates do not coincide with holiday dates in state & academy schools where siblings attend.
Absence will not be granted:
- Due to availability of cheaper holidays during term time as opposed to the school holiday period
- To extend a holiday beyond or before school holiday dates
- During Y6 SATS & the Y1 Phonics test (including Y2 pupils who are retaking this assessment). The dates of these assessments are published annually. A family crisis, bereavement or illness would be the only reasons that would be considered for an absence during this period.
- To parents who request the similar period of absence annually,
- Children’s attendance & levels of achievement and progress will be taken into account when assessing requests.
- If a pupil accumulates 5 or more days of unauthorised absence within the previous 6 month period of a current academic year, the school must notify the Local Authority and a Penalty notice will be issued to each parent for each child where that applies.
For further information and clarification please refer to the DBAT Pupil Attendance Policy below.
For Wiltshire Council ‘Information for Parents and Carers’ on ‘Penalty Notices for Unauthorised Leave of Absence During Term Time’ click HERE.