Attendance at Leyland Methodist Schools

Epworth Education Trust, and Leyland Methodist Schools, are united in their belief that regular school attendance is the key to enabling children to maximise the educational opportunities available to them. Excellent attendance at school has been closely linked to emotionally resilient, confident and competent adults who are able to realise their full potential – enabling them to make a positive contribution to their community and beyond. A more detailed explanation of our attendance process can be found in our Attendance Policy. 

Legal Responsibilities

The law entitles every child of compulsory school age to a full-time education.

The parental role in ensuring children attend school daily is key, and as such, we expect parents to fulfil their legal responsibility to ensure their child has good time keeping and attendance.  This means your child must attend, on time, every day that the school is open, except in a small number of allowable circumstances such as being too ill to attend or being given permission for an absence, in advance, from school.

School's Commitment

We are dedicated to providing a supportive and engaging learning environment that encourages regular attendance. Epworth Education Trust recognise that there can be diverse and complex barriers to accessing education. Leyland Methodist Schools are committed to building trusting relationships with families to ensure these barriers are identified, and removed, in a timely manner by securing the right support at the right time.  

Attendance Monitoring

Our school monitors attendance daily, in line with the Department for Education (DfE) guidelines. We use attendance codes to record each pupil's presence or absence during morning and afternoon sessions. This data is submitted to the DfE regularly, contributing to national statistics and helping us identify patterns that may require intervention.

Our designated attendance lead is:

Mr Richard Nuttall, Assistant Headteacher - r.nuttall@lms.epworthtrust.org.uk 

The Epworth Education Trust recognises that poor attendance is often an indication of difficulties in a child’s life and their lived experience. This may be related to problems at home or in school. The Attendance Support Map ensures that time is given to listen to and understand these difficulties so the child’s right to education can be delivered and barriers removed.  The Attendance Support Map identifies the six levels of support parents can expect, as well as clarity over attendance expectations and consequences. There are exceptions to this support map, such as for children with a medical condition.

Authorised and Unauthorised Absences

Absences can be classified as either authorised or unauthorised:

• Authorised Absences: These are approved by the school and may include reasons such as illness, medical appointments, or exceptional circumstances.

• Unauthorised Absences: These occur when the school has not granted permission for the absence or the provided reason is deemed unacceptable, such as holidays taken during term time without prior approval.

Requesting Leave During Term Time

The Department for Education states that parents have no entitlement to take their children out of school for a holiday during term time. Any application for leave of absence must only be made in exceptional circumstances and must be made by completing a ‘Request for Leave of Absence’ form (available from the school office) for Mrs K Chadwick, Executive Headteacher’s attention, in advance of the leave.

Schools are not permitted to authorise any holidays during term time, whether this involves educational activities or not. If your application is denied and your child is still absent, the Local Authority may issue a Penalty Notice or Prosecution in the Magistrates Court.

Consequences of Unauthorised Absences

As of August 2024, the government updated their approach to unauthorised absences:

• Fixed Penalty Notices: The Local Authority may issue a fixed penalty of £160 per parent, per child if their child has 10 or more unauthorised sessions (equivalent to five school days). This may be reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days.. 

• Legal Action: Failure to pay fixed penalty notices, or persistent unauthorised absences can lead to prosecution, resulting in fines up to £2,500, community orders, or imprisonment.

Support for Families

We understand that challenges may arise that impact your child's attendance. Our school is committed to working collaboratively with families to address any issues, providing support and guidance to ensure that all pupils can attend school regularly and benefit fully from their education.

For any concerns or support regarding attendance, please contact our school office:

• Telephone: 01772 423694

• Email: office@lms.epworthtrust.org.uk

Together, we can ensure that every child at Leyland Methodist Schools achieves their full potential through regular attendance.