Absence- Frequently asked questions 

What should I do if my child is not well enough to attend school?
Email or telephone us before 08:30am. Please remember to give us a brief explanation of their symptoms e.g. vomiting, fever, migraine
• Telephone 01752 201020
• Email admin@sjhcsc.co.uk

What should I do if I get a text message or email to say my child is not in school?
If you have forgotten to let us know that your child is ill, then we will send you a text message and an email the same day.
Please reply to this text message to tell us why they are absent (with a brief explanation of their symptoms if they are ill).

What should I do if I get an email to say my child has unexplained absences?
You will get an email if you haven’t let us know the reason for your child’s absence and have not responded to the daily texts/emails.
Please respond to the email with an explanation as to why your child was off. If you do not respond to the email the absence will be coded as unauthorised.

What should I do if I am not sure if my child is well enough to come to school?
Send them into school. We often find the distraction of learning and being with their friends will help them forget they feel a bit under the weather. If during the day they feel worse and we believe they would be better resting at home, we will contact you.

What should I do if my child needs a routine medical/dental appointment?
Your child's health comes first. However, these appointments where possible should be made outside of the school day to minimise the disruption to your child’s education.

What should I do if my child has an appointment during the school day that cannot be rearranged?
You should complete an absence request form (available from reception or our website) and send this in along with evidence of the appointment. If we don’t receive evidence, the absence will be marked as unauthorised.

I have had a letter stating my child’s absence is too high, what should I do?
These are standard letters that come out at the end of each term. They are designed to flag up higher than expected absence and give you the opportunity to get in contact to discuss any concerns you may have so we can work together to resolve these,
 
Why have I been asked to come in for a meeting about my child’s absence?
We are concerned about your child’s level of absence and we want to work with you to come up with a plan to support them. If their attendance doesn’t improve you could face prosecution and we want to avoid this at all costs. At the meeting we will set some targets aimed at improving your child’s attendance and discuss and implement  any additional support they may need to ensure this happens.

You have placed my child on medical evidence; why is this and what can I use as evidence?
When a child has lower than expected attendance and the initial meetings have not succeeded in reducing absence levels, a student might be placed on “Medical Evidence”. This means than any further period of absence must be supported by a medical note from a professional. Evidence can take several forms for example: of a copy of a prescription, a letter from the GP or medical specialist, a signed and dated medical appointment card.

What happens if my child is on medical evidence and I don't provide this?
If we do not have this supporting evidence, we will code the absence as unauthorised this will increases the likelihood of the local authority pursuing a prosecution which we want to avoid at all costs as they put families under enormous pressure so please work with us.