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Attendance

ABSENCE LINE - Tel: 0161 493 1305

If your child is absent from school you must report the absence before 8.40am.  Every individual day of absence must be reported.

Is My Child too Ill to go to School?

Please click here to read guidance from the NHS on whether your child should attend school.

 Is my child too ill for school? - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

The Academy's attendance target is 97%

It is a parent/carers responsibility to ensure their child gets a suitable full-time education and attends school regularly. Regular attendance is essential for students to fulfill their academic potential and research consistently shows that students with the best attendance achieve the best grades.

The Academy will always work to support parents/carers where attendance is a concern.

The UK law states that regular attendance is a legal requirement and essential for pupils to achieve their best. The law states that parents/carers are responsible for ensuring their child accesses the educational opportunities available to them. By law, schools also have a duty of care and have to follow very strict regulations on attendance. 

We share the government’s determination to raise levels of student attendance and achievement in order to ensure the best possible start in life for our children. Research consistently shows that students with the best attendance get the best grades. At MEA, one of our highest performing cohorts is always those students whose attendance is over 97%. The target for all students is a minimum of 97%.

1 day off a fortnight = 90%

2 days off a fortnight = 80%

3 days off a fortnight = 70% 

4 days off a fortnight = 60%

Parents/carers are not allowed to keep a child off school for any of the following reasons: family birthdays, visiting relatives, looking after other family members etc. These will be unauthorised absences and will be marked with an O or U. Appointments should be made outside of school time. 

Persistent unauthorised absences will result in a Fixed Penalty Notice being issued and could result in prosecution.

Under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003, an authorised person has the authority to issue each parent/carer with a Fixed Penalty Notice for each of their children for persistent absence. Each Penalty Notice incurs a fine of £120 to be paid within 28 days, which is reduced to £60 if paid within 21 days of the notice being served.

Holidays

You do not have the right by law to take your child on holiday during term time. As of September 2013, the Principal cannot grant permission for holidays taken during term time. If you plan to take your child out of school for a holiday you must inform the Principal in writing. This must be done before the holiday is taken. In line with Safeguarding best practice, we may ask to see copies of any air/travel tickets. If a parent takes a child on holiday, it will be recorded as a G which is classed as unauthorised absence. A Fixed Penalty Notice may be issued.

Further information can be found in our Attendance Policy available to download below:

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