At William Ransom, we value attendance and punctuality highly and we actively work with our school community, in partnership, to achieve strong attendance for all of our children. We know that regular attendance ensures all children can take full advantage of the educational opportunities provided and that there are clear links between high attendance and good academic outcomes. We want motivated enthusiastic learners who get to school on time, ready to learn and who establish good habits for lifelong learning. Our school values underpin everything we do and
We work in partnership with parents and carers to ensure they fulfil their legal responsibility to make sure that their children come to school regularly and on time. In turn, the school has a legal duty to mark the register and record the attendance of every child on roll and to specifically code which children are absent or late and why. We fully support all initiatives from our Local Authority and comply with all of Hertfordshire's guidance and expectations.
Above all, we want families to value education and share our consistent message that learning is precious and not a minute should be wasted.
What are authorised absences?
Authorised absences involve children having time out of school for approved reasons, for example: illness, urgent medical appointments, attendance at funerals, religious observance or visits to secondary schools.
The school will need an explanation from parents or carers before registration on the first day of absence (or as soon as is practically possible), if they are to authorise the child’s absence.
This is then coded in the attendance register by the class teacher or school office. Every effort should be made to arrange routine dentists and GP appointments outside school hours. However, it is understood that specialist hospital or clinic appointments may have to be made during school hours. We encourage children to attend school before or after these appointments to limit lost learning.
If a child has vomited or has diarrhoea, we ask that they remain off school for 48 hours from the last instance of sickness in order to limit the spread of infection.
Please see the poster below for further information about when your child should, and should not attend school.
Exceptional Authorised Leave
As per Department for Education guidance, the school leadership team must be satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances based on the individual facts and circumstances of the case which warrant the leave.
Parents who wish to take their children out of school for these exceptional circumstances during school time must make this request to Mrs Victoria Wheat, in writing or by email (firstname.lastname@example.org). It is important to make the request in good time before the period of requested leave; it is not acceptable to tell the school afterwards. Mrs Wheat will respond by phone, email or in person. Each request for exceptional leave will be considered as a separate case and the leadership team's decision will consider the following:
- The reason for the leave and why it could not be taken during school holidays
- The number of days requested
- Previous requests for leave during term-time
- The child’s attendance and punctuality record (broadly speaking, we would expect a pattern of attendance consistently at or above 95%)
- The child’s stage of education
- Any additional needs of the child
- The child’s current attainment and level of progress, their attitude to learning and any impact the leave will have on their learning.
We are not unsympathetic to difficult or special circumstances and will always consider requests for absence that, if then authorised, are recorded as ‘other circumstances’. Examples of this might be urgent trips to see ill relatives, or special opportunities in sport or music.
There is no entitlement to holiday in term-time. We strongly discourage missing school in term time. Children miss out on crucial work and friendships and may lose their sense of engagement and involvement with school life. Requests for a day or two off at the start or end of term are considered in the same light. The start and end of term are important markers in the school year. Each term begins with sharing plans, expectations and preparing children for the term ahead. On the last days of each term, we have WR traditions that anchor the school year, enhance a sense of belonging for children and help create lifelong memories of school. In the summer term, the last few days of the term also provide a vital transition into the next academic year.
While we wish to support children pursuing sport, music or other after school lessons, there is no entitlement to leave school early to travel to these sessions regularly.
What are unauthorised absences?
Unauthorised absences involve children having time out of school without explanation, or where the reason for absence is one that the school cannot authorise, for example: a holiday, birthdays, baby-sitting for younger siblings, too tired, late nights, not realising term had started or because other members of the family are ill. If the Leadership team do not authorise a holiday or exceptional leave in term time, and either is still taken, or days are taken in excess of those agreed with the school, this is always classified as unauthorised. The Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 2006 state clearly that if a child has failed to return to school 10 days later than the agreed return date, that the child’s name be deleted from the admission register i.e. the school place is taken away.
What do I do if my child is unable to attend school?
If your child is too unwell to attend school, please email or phone the school before the school day begins and leave a message by choosing option 1 on the menu.
If we have not heard from you by the time the register is taken, a member of the school office team will call you to clarify why your child is not at school and they will leave a voice message asking you to call the school if they cannot make contact.
If we have not received a response, someone from the school office will call again at 10:30am and will again leave a message if they are unable to make contact.
If we have not been able to make contact with you, or one of you contacts on Arbor, to clarify where your child is and the reason for their absence, by 1pm, then two members of the Safeguarding team will carry out a welfare check to your child's listed main residence. We do this solely in the interests of your child's safety and wellbeing and to enable us to be able to support, where support is needed, as soon as possible - working with you, collaboratively, not against you.
Medication in School
WR is committed to ensuring that children are able to return to school as soon as possible after an illness, (subject to the health and safety of the school community) and that children with chronic health needs are supported at school.
- Medicines should only be brought to school when essential (where it would be detrimental to the child’s health if the medicine were not administered during the school day).
- All medicines should be taken directly to the school office by a responsible adult.
- Medicines will only be accepted in the original container as dispensed by a pharmacist and with the prescriber’s instructions for administration.
- The medicine should be clearly marked with the child’s name and class number.
- The appropriate dosage spoon should be included with all medicines sent to school.
- Any medicine administered will be recorded by the staff member in the Medication Book in the School Office.
- Medicines will only be accepted for administration in school on completion of the appropriate form by a parent or carer. In exceptionally situations we will accept telephone consent.
- We will also administer non-prescription medicines if there is a compelling reason, for example, seasonal use of anti-histamines. They must also be handed in at the office by a responsible adult and they will not be given to children without prior written permission from parents as above.
- They should be clearly marked with the child’s name and class number.
- Children must not carry medicines themselves for self-administration during the day. The medicine must be collected from the office and taken under the supervision of an adult.
- Any non-prescription medicine administered will also be recorded in the Medication Book in the School Office.
- We will not give paracetamol or ibuprofen routinely as their primary use is to control raised temperature for which a child should be at home. If advised by a doctor, we will give them for pain relief.
- We do not allow cough sweets in school.
Asthma inhalers are kept in the classroom in a place where the child can access them when required. It is the responsibility of the parents to update these inhalers when necessary. These inhalers will be taken on trips and, where possible, carried by the child. If an inhaler is newly prescribed to a child, please bring it to the School Office initially.
If your child has been prescribed an Epipen, please notify the school immediately and bring the Epipen to the school office initially.
Accidents and Illness During the School Day
If your child is taken ill during the school day, we will make the best assessment of their condition that we can at the time to do our best to ensure that we are only contacting you when we need to.
If your child sustains an injury at school, this will be logged on our medical tracker system and you will be notified by email. Very minor injuries are not recorded as these can frequently occur throughout the school day for a wide range of reasons, as they do in the outside world.
We can only record and inform parents and carers of injuries that we have been made aware of, or that have been witnessed. Staff will always be happy to discuss any injuries that have been sustained and follow up appropriately.
We will make the best decisions that we can at the time regarding whether hospital attention is needed. We will usually contact those listed on Arbor before making that decision but sometimes, with significant injuries, it may be necessary to contact you following a request for an ambulance, or following the school having made other arrangements to get your child transported to hospital in the most timely way possible.