Absence Reporting
ABSENCE REPORTING
Expectations
Thornden School has a duty to provide appropriate education for all students who attend. Parents/carers have a legal obligation to ensure that children receive an education by regular attendance at school.
Parents/carers must ensure that a reason for absence is reported to school every day.
- Please log same-day absences using the Arbor App.
- Complete the Arbor App and submit on each subsequent day of absence.
- For students who are late in, please complete the Arbor App and ensure the student signs in at reception.
- As a Safeguarding procedure, we will text parents/carers requesting an update if a student does not register in the morning and we have not received an absence notification.
- A medical note is required from a registered Medical Practitioner upon regular or lengthy absence from school due to illness or surgery.
Reporting Absences
As a school, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students.
- Please complete the Arbor App and submit before 8:35am every day that the student is absent.
- For students who are going to be late, please also report this on the Arbor App before 8:35am.
- For students who have not registered and for whom we have not been notified of an absence, you will receive the following text message: “Please can you let the attendance team know why <Firstname> is absent from school today by updating the Arbor App or call 02380 246577.”
- Please respond to this text message straight away. If we have not received a response by lunchtime, we will contact you by telephone.
- For students leaving school early, please complete the Arbor App and make sure that they sign out at reception when you pick them up.
- Please email the attendance team (attendance@thornden.hants.sch.uk) to advise of a planned absence for a future date, e.g. for a medical appointment or report it on the Arbor App on the day.
- Please also remind students that they must go to the Medical Team if they feel unwell. Students should not contact parents/carers directly.
Note:
- If you wish to discuss any medical issues with the Medical Team in person, please phone 023 8024 6777.
Taking a leave of absence
Please complete this form.
Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 have been amended (as of 1 September 2013) to prohibit the proprietor (Headteacher) of a maintained school granting leave of absence to a student except where an application has been made in advance and the proprietor considers that there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application.
There is no general right to authorised absence for a family holiday. If you take your child out of school without permission the absence will be unauthorised; you may be issued a Penalty Notice, and the Local Authority may consider legal action.
Schools are only able to authorise absence from school in exceptional circumstances. In making a request for an authorised absence from school, you will need to explain why the circumstances are exceptional.
If you remove your child for an unauthorised period and it is the belief of the school and Local Authority that you have done this in a way as to avoid being issued a Penalty Notice, the Local Authority reserves the right to authorise the issuing of a Penalty Notice before the national threshold is met.