At Christ Church, we want the best possible attendance rates in order to ensure that children are enabled to reach their full potential in school.

Whilst we recognise that there are times when a child will need to miss school for sickness or unavoidable appointments, it is vital that absence is kept to a minimum. The governors have reviewed our attendance policy to ensure that it is effective and understood by all. You can view a copy of our policy here.

Sickness

To report a child’s absence please use the ParentMail App.  You must contact the school either each day of absence or advise the school on the first day of absence how long your child will be absent.

If your child suffers from either vomiting or diarrhoea then they must be kept off school and can only return 48 hours after their symptoms disappear.

It is vital that we are kept updated as we are keen to ensure that any child who walks to school on their own is safe.

Appointments

Wherever possible please make appointments out of school hours. If your child needs to miss part of the day to attend an appointment then please provide the office with written confirmation, which can be an email, handwritten note or copy of the appointment letter where appropriate. If the appointment is only for part of a day then the child is expected to be in school for the rest of the day.

Term Time Absence

Government regulations allow us to authorise absence in exceptional circumstances only. Please note that:

• Any absence requests should be submitted, on the school’s Leave of Absence Request Form, at least half a term in advance, unless there is an emergency. A hard copy is available from either school office.
• Absence requests will not be authorised during assessment periods.
• Please note that family holidays are generally not considered an exceptional circumstance and so will not be authorised.