Punctuality and Registration:

The school day officially starts at 8:45am when the register is opened. Children who arrive after this time will be marked as late and should report to the school office.

Applecroft School operates a ‘soft start’ whereby the doors to the building are open ten minutes early at 8:35am and children are welcome to go to their classrooms from this time. This enables a calm and relaxed transition from the playground to the classroom for the children and ensures our day starts promptly.

Absence:

Please report any absence before 9am on the day via the main school number giving your child’s name, class and reason for absence. Please be aware that following the Department of Health’s advice, your child should not return to school for 48 hours after the last episode of vomiting and/or diarrhoea.

Request for Absence:

Notification must be provided for all absences from school and must be given by the parent/carer or other responsible adult. Parents/carers are asked to complete a ‘Request of Absence’ form at least three weeks ahead of any planned absence in order for the Headteacher to make a decision if it is to be authorised or not. Absences can only be authorised by the Headteacher. The ‘Request for Absence’ form can be obtained from the link below or the school office. The school may decide not to authorise absence, even when a reason is provided.

Examples of absence that will be authorised:

• Music or dance exams
• Funeral/bereavement close family relatives
• School visits
• The absence occurs on a day exclusively set aside for religious observance by the religious body to which the pupil’s parent belongs

Examples of absence that will not be authorised:

• Holidays in term time
• Shopping days
• Birthdays
• Looking after younger brothers/sisters
• Attending performances for younger/older siblings
• Pet going to vet
• Attending a party

Request for Family Holidays During Term Time:

Amendments to the 2006 Pupil Registration (England) Regulations that came into effect on 1st September 2013 removed all references to family holidays and extended leave for holidays in term time. The amendments make it clear that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. It is for the Headteacher to determine what constitutes exceptional circumstances and for them to determine the number of school days a child can be away from school if the leave is granted.

Holidays during term time will be recorded as an unauthorised absence and may result in a Fixed Penalty Notice being issued by the local authority.

Routine Dental/Medical Appointments:

We politely request that routine medical and dental appointments are not booked during the school day but are booked either before or after school or where possible, e.g. routine dental check ups, are booked during the school holiday periods.

First Day Response:

• Applecroft School carries out a ‘First Day Response’, where parents/carers are contacted as soon as possible via phone and/or email by a member of the office staff, if their child has not registered at school by 9:05am and we have not received a message explaining their absence
• A member of the office staff carries out the first day response after checking the school’s ‘Daily Attendance Log’ and electronic registers for absence
• The telephone contact list is updated by a member of the office staff daily
• For Children Looked After (CLA) – the Designated Teacher (Rhiannon Kerry) monitors absence and where there may be a need, contacts Children, Schools and Families with any concerns