Attendance at Billinghay CE Primary School

It is vital that we work together to ensure good attendance and punctuality for all our children. This will help children to develop to their full potential.

Good routines have to be established early and continued throughout a child's school life. If your child is unwell, please contact school on the first morning of illness so that we can record the reason for absence - this must be done by 9:30am otherwise, further contact will be made to obtain the reason for absence. 

We strongly recommend that children should not be taken out of school during term time for any reason and you will be required to complete an Application for Leave of Absence Form (see below) for the attention of the Headteacher if you are thinking of doing so. Please note that from September 2023, if a parent takes their child/ren out of school for term time holiday and does not complete the Leave of Absence Form before going, at least 2 weeks prior to the holiday, then schools can now request a Fixed Penalty Notice from the Local Authority, without formally issuing parents with a warning letter (See letter below).

Children need to be in school for 8.50am to start learning. The school gates open at 8.45am. The gates will be shut at 8.50am and children arriving after this time will enter via the office. Children arriving after registers close at 9am will be marked as absent.

Should you need to book a medical appointment, please try and ensure this is done out of school hours. If this is not possible, our break time is 11.00-11.15 for Year Reception to Year 2 and 11.15 to 11.30 for Year 3 to Year 6 and lunch time is 12.30 to 1.00pm. Proof of appointment will need to be shown for children to be allowed to leave. We also acknowledge that it can be difficult to get a medical appointment at these times. As long as your child is in school for 8.50am and are registered, you can pick them up and take them to an appointment. We ask that if your child is well enough they return to school after the appointment, particularly to be in school for 1.30pm when the afternoon register is taken. Every session in school really counts towards good attendance.

Keeping your child off school with minor ailments such as a headache and a slight cold is not acceptable. Please see below for guidance provided by the Department for Education about mild illnesses and school attendance. When children should be kept off school and when they shouldn't. It is usually appropriate for parents and carers to send their children to school with mild respiratory illnesses. This would include general cold symptoms: a minor cough, runny nose or sore throat. However, children should not be sent to school if they have a temperature of 38°C or above.