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Unauthorised Absence - Primary School
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Hi. I have a question that I need quickly answered, so would be very grateful to anyone that can help - teachers, Education workers etc.
If a child misses morning registration on two occasions (no point in explaining the reason as it makes no difference) does that go down as two marks of unauthorised absences or do they count each morning misses as a half day so it equates to one unauthorsied absence?
Thanks.
If a child misses morning registration on two occasions (no point in explaining the reason as it makes no difference) does that go down as two marks of unauthorised absences or do they count each morning misses as a half day so it equates to one unauthorsied absence?
Thanks.
Answers
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.She arrived at 9.05 on the one morning and 9.15 on the second. I would have thought these would have totaled one unauthorised absence and not two, so her 'total unauthorised absenses' would be one?
I appreciate that all schools are different and I've tried to call the EWO at my local council but he's left for the day so I can't speak to him until Monday. I need him to confirm it for me before I go arguing my case with the school headmistress.
I appreciate that all schools are different and I've tried to call the EWO at my local council but he's left for the day so I can't speak to him until Monday. I need him to confirm it for me before I go arguing my case with the school headmistress.
Well that's what I think. Basically, to cut a long story short, I requested 3 days holiday so we could attend a family wedding in France. She asked me to provide proof of the church booking and a copy of the wedding invite. I was able to provide the invite but I could not provide the church booking as I did not want to ask the bride and groom for this. She has marked it down now as 3 days unautorised which I thought was really unfair but accepted.
She has today sent this letter home to say that those 3 days plus the two I am talking about here (two mornings) equals 5 and she will be referring it to the EWO who will decide whether or not to fine me.
I truly believe this is personal as I was part of a group of mothers who last year started a petition for the right to equal rights after this headmistress had two weeks off during term time to go on holiday. Obviously I can't prove this, but everyone I've spoken to agree's that it seems unfair.
I spoke to the EWO before I took my child to this wedding and he looked at her attendance and said that "even if I did go and it was marked as unauthorised they wouldn't be able to impose a fine as she would not have missed 5 days in total"...?
As above, I have tried phoning to speak to him but can't do so until Monday.
I am now stressing out about this.
She has today sent this letter home to say that those 3 days plus the two I am talking about here (two mornings) equals 5 and she will be referring it to the EWO who will decide whether or not to fine me.
I truly believe this is personal as I was part of a group of mothers who last year started a petition for the right to equal rights after this headmistress had two weeks off during term time to go on holiday. Obviously I can't prove this, but everyone I've spoken to agree's that it seems unfair.
I spoke to the EWO before I took my child to this wedding and he looked at her attendance and said that "even if I did go and it was marked as unauthorised they wouldn't be able to impose a fine as she would not have missed 5 days in total"...?
As above, I have tried phoning to speak to him but can't do so until Monday.
I am now stressing out about this.
I spoke to the education welfare officer for the school before I took my child out for the 3 days. He said even if it went down as unauthorised it would still not warrant a fine as her absences (which he checked on his system) would not add up to 5, which is the amount of times they can be 'unauthorised' before it gets passed to the council to issue a fine.
I took her out for the 3 days as he had told me this was the case and now all of a sudden she's saying that the two late mornings mean she's had 5 unauthorised absences.
I took her out for the 3 days as he had told me this was the case and now all of a sudden she's saying that the two late mornings mean she's had 5 unauthorised absences.
This should help
http:// www.edu cation. gov.uk/ schools /pupils upport/ behavio ur/atte ndance/ a002163 41/advi ce-on-s chool-a ttendan ce
Statutory register have to be taken at set times
"By law, schools are required to record in the attendance register - once at the beginning of the morning session and once in the afternoon - whether the pupil is present, absent, engaged in an approved, supervised educational activity off-site, or unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances as defined in regulation 6(5) ....
http://
Statutory register have to be taken at set times
"By law, schools are required to record in the attendance register - once at the beginning of the morning session and once in the afternoon - whether the pupil is present, absent, engaged in an approved, supervised educational activity off-site, or unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances as defined in regulation 6(5) ....
And this.
http:// media.e ducatio n.gov.u k/asset s/files /pdf/a/ advice% 20on%20 school% 20atten dance%2 02013.p df
A pupil arriving after the register has closed should be marked absent with code U, or with another absence code if that is more appropriate.
http://
A pupil arriving after the register has closed should be marked absent with code U, or with another absence code if that is more appropriate.
Thanks for that. I appreciate the help and advice.
Would you please mind helping me to understand something, whilst I have you.
The letter says "Under Section 444(A) of The Education Act 1996, the local authority may issue penalty notices to parents of children with 5 unauthorised absences from the school".
I can see no mention of this on the education act, nor on my local councils website.
I have looked at the school's policy document regarding this and it says:
"Accumulated unauthorised absences of 10 sessions may result in a Fixed
Penalty Fine issued directly from ***** Council.
N.B. 2 sessions = 1 day"
When I spoke to the Education Welfare Officer, he told me that even if she did mark our holiday as unauthorised my child would still not have enough absences for them to issue a fine. Since I've just read this, I now remember he did actually say it had to be ten unauthorised absences, not the 5 I mentioned above.
I can't think straight at the moment and can't work out, from the info taken from the letter and policy document, who is right/wrong.
If I am wrong then I will accept that, but I can't see how it equates to 5 unathorised absences, let alone ten sessions.
I work it out as 8 sessions?
Would you please mind helping me to understand something, whilst I have you.
The letter says "Under Section 444(A) of The Education Act 1996, the local authority may issue penalty notices to parents of children with 5 unauthorised absences from the school".
I can see no mention of this on the education act, nor on my local councils website.
I have looked at the school's policy document regarding this and it says:
"Accumulated unauthorised absences of 10 sessions may result in a Fixed
Penalty Fine issued directly from ***** Council.
N.B. 2 sessions = 1 day"
When I spoke to the Education Welfare Officer, he told me that even if she did mark our holiday as unauthorised my child would still not have enough absences for them to issue a fine. Since I've just read this, I now remember he did actually say it had to be ten unauthorised absences, not the 5 I mentioned above.
I can't think straight at the moment and can't work out, from the info taken from the letter and policy document, who is right/wrong.
If I am wrong then I will accept that, but I can't see how it equates to 5 unathorised absences, let alone ten sessions.
I work it out as 8 sessions?
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