Absence Line & Attendance
Our Schools opening hours are Monday - Friday, 8.45am (morning registration) to 3.10pm (the end of last lesson) - 32.08 hours a week.
Absence:
Please, if your child/ward is absent from school, will you either email us or phone us, to let us know.
To email, please use: attendance@hilbre.wirral.sch.uk for all year groups
To phone, there are two phone numbers you can ring to let us know if your child is going to be absent. Either:
Ring 0151 625 5996 and choose option 1 or,
Ring 0151 625 2883 (which is the school's dedicated absence line).
Please give your child’s name and form, together with the reason for your child’s absence. If we have not been notified, one of our Pastoral Assistants will ring you.
Please try to make medical or dental appointments outside school hours. If you know that your child is going to be off for a medical appointment or any other reason please ring the absence line before the day of the appointment. Attendance at school is important and affects a young person’s grades. Please only allow your child to be absent if absolutely necessary.
All absences must be explained. Pupils must bring a note on the first day of their return to school.
Holidays During Term Time:
Holiday Requests: Permission for holidays during the school term will only be granted in the most exceptional circumstances.
We are fully committed to upholding Department for Education legislation in relation to family holidays taken in term time. The Headteacher will only grant leave of absence in exceptional circumstances in recognition that taking a child out of school in term time can impair their progress and development and that parents who remove their children from school in term time may be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice. (From 1 September 2013 these will be for £60 per parent per child if paid within 21 days and £120 per parent per child if paid between 22 and 28 days. Parents who fail to pay Fixed Penalty Notices may be prosecuted in court.) Permission for leave of absence in exceptional circumstances must be applied for by writing directly to the Headteacher.
As you are aware, the development of your son/daughter’s education is a key gateway to future success and, specifically, to employment opportunities. Obviously, the importance of a student’s attendance and punctuality cannot be overstated and, with this in mind, your cooperation in the following is necessary.
As a school we are legally permitted to uphold Department for Education legislation in relation to family holidays taken in term time.The Headtecher will only grant leave of absence in exceptional circumstances in recognition that taking a child out of school in term time can impair their progress and development and that parents who remove their children from school in term time may be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice. (From 1 September 2013 these will be for £60 per parent per child if paid within 21 days and £120 per parent per child if paid between 22 and 28 days. Parents who fail to pay Fixed Penalty Notices may be prosecuted in court.) Permission for leave of absence in exceptional circumstances must be applied for by writing directly to the Headteacher.
In the event that you should consider your circumstances to be exceptional and a request for leave of absence to be unavoidable, please adhere to the following protocol;
- To ask for holiday permission, please apply in writing directly to the Headteacher.
- The letter should provide specific detail explaining why the requested leave of absence period must take place during term time.
- The letter should be returned by your son/daughter to the Attendance Officer.
- Pending the Principal’s and Head of House’s consideration of the request for leave of absence, your son/daughter will receive official authorisation for the request.
Please note that unless circumstances are judged to be exceptional, the leave of absence will be declined.
In the event that a parent/carer disagrees with the school’s judgement in such matters, deciding instead to override the recommendations of the school, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised and count towards unauthorised attendances, which may ultimately result in attending a meeting with our ESW and may lead to the issuing of a Fixed Penalty Notice.
We appreciate that, to some parents/carers, this information may sound overly prescriptive but it should be pointed out that it is designed to maximise your son/daughter’s wider academic potential and with this in mind we are sure of your fullest support.
Below are two ‘Frequently Asked Questions’
taken from the Department for Education publication: Advice on School Attendance, published in 2012
Can a school fine a parent for taking their child on holiday during term time?
Yes. Parents have a legal duty to make sure that their child aged 5-16, if registered at a school, attends that school regularly. If taking an unauthorised term time holiday is grounds for issuing a penalty notice according to the local authority’s code, and if the leave of absence for holiday was not authorised by the school, either the school or the local authority may issue a penalty notice.
Can schools decide whether parents should be prosecuted or not?
No. Only local authorities can make decisions on whether parents should be prosecuted for school attendance offences. All schools (including academies) have a duty to refer regular absence (authorised and unauthorised) to the relevant local authority. This may include any evidence to show how they supported the pupil and parent to improve attendance. It is for each local authority to judge each referral on its own merits and make a decision on the next probable cause of action.
For more information visit: