Reporting an Absence
Report an absence Primary - telephone 01983 403284 (pupilabsences@bayceschool.org)
Report an absence Secondary - telephone 01983 409110
Good attendance at school is essential to future academic, financial and social success. We aim for all students to achieve 100% attendance. A child with 90% attendance misses half a day per week, 8 days per term, 4 weeks in a year and a huge 20 weeks by the time they have left us in Year 11. This has a significant impact on examination results and, in turn, on potential career earnings. Additionally, students are less well prepared for the rigours and demands of the workplace.
Parents and carers have a legal responsibility to ensure that their child is attending school. The school is committed to providing support to help parents with attendance where required, but it may also be necessary for us to take legal or other relevant action if a child’s attendance continues to be below 95%. If you are struggling with your child’s attendance, we urge you to contact us as early as possible as issues are easier to overcome the quicker they are identified and tackled.
We strongly urge you to send your child in to school under all circumstances unless:
They are vomiting or have diarrhoea, in which case they should not return to school for 48 hours after the last time this occurred.
They have an illness that is contagious, in which case they should not return until they are no longer contagious.
They have a serious injury or illness which would mean it would be unsafe for them to be in school (under most circumstances, we can carry out a risk assessment and make adjustments so that a child with, for example, a broken leg, can attend and participate).
Please do not keep your child at home because:
They have a headache, cold or other minor illness.
You are unable to arrange transport for them (they must walk, catch a bus or train).
You or a member of your family is ill.
Click here to read a useful NHS guide – Should my child go to school?
We rarely send children home from school for illness and would only do so in serious cases. We appreciate your support in encouraging your child to persevere until the end of the day so that their condition can be assessed at home.
Please be aware of your child’s illnesses and complaints of feeling ill. If there is a pattern, this can sometimes be linked to anxiety about particular subjects or situations. Parents/ carers are advised to discuss these with your child and contact their Tutor to determine how we can support you.
Medical appointments should, wherever possible, be made out of school hours. However, if this is not possible please write a note in your child’s planner on the day they are required to leave school, for your child to show to their Tutor / Teacher. You do not need to contact the school as well.
The school operates an absence system that will notify parents, via text, that their child is not registered within school. Notification will be sent by approximately 11:30 am each day informing you that we have no record of your child being registered in school. If you expect your son/daughter to be at school or you have not reported them absent then please telephone and ask to speak to the Attendance Officer.
Reporting an absence
Parents/carers must PHONE the school on each and every day that a student is absent:
01983 409110.
On return to school, please send your child in with a letter explaining the specific reason for absence (not just that they were ‘unwell’).
