Attendance and Punctuality
Section 29 of the Education Act 2001 states, “It is a parent’s responsibility to ensure their child attends school regularly and punctually. Failure to do so, could result in legal proceedings against you.” The attendance of children at school is compulsory from the term after a child’s 5th birthday. Failure to do so can lead to prosecution and a court appearance.
The Act also makes clear the necessity for parents to inform the school on the first day of a child’s absence, followed by a letter on the child’s return to explain the circumstances surrounding the absence. Alternatively you can text the school on 166629. Please remember to include either your or your child’s name in the text.
Please ensure you follow these parental obligations.
Holidays in Term Time
On educational grounds, neither the Department of Education and Children nor the school either supports or encourages additional time being taken off school for holiday purposes. Securing leave of absence for this purpose should not be regarded as a formality and should be applied for in advance, not retrospectively.
Leave of absence will only be granted for more than 10 school days in any academic year in exceptional circumstances, and any time taken off school for which leave of absence has not been granted will be recorded as an unauthorised absence and may be investigated by the Department of Education and Children’s attendance officer. If you wish to apply for a leave of absence for your child you should do so by writing to the Headteacher outlining why it is essential for the trip to take place during term time, giving as much notice as possible.
Extreme Weather
In the event of heavy snow, or other extreme weather, it may be necessary to close the school. If the decision is made to close the school, parents will be informed by way of an announcement on Manx Radio and other local radio stations, by a message on Twitter Feed and through our text message service. Such a decision will not be made lightly, and will be made solely out of consideration for the safety of our children.
At such times, parents should listen to a local radio station and not ring the school, so that telephone lines can be kept open to enable staff to ring out, as well as ensuring that the staff are able to look after the children.