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Attendance 

Whole School Attendance

93.68%

Best Class 

3P

Well done to that class!

Important Attendance Information

Grendon Primary School is working in partnership with parents to improve school attendance. We would like to congratulate the many parents who make sure their children attend school regularly.

It is the parent's legal responsibility to ensure their children receive appropriate education. Failing to send your child to school regularly without good reason is a criminal offence.

Absence disrupts the education of the individual pupil and the whole class. Children who do not attend regularly:

  • do not achieve well in exams
  • find it difficult to maintain friendships
  • are more likely to become involved in crime
  • miss out on opportunities in further education and world of work

Absence can only be authorised by the Head Teacher, within the boundaries set by the Education Act 1996.

Please remember that parental illness, going shopping, visiting family, truancy, not wanting to go to school, alleged bullying (speak to school immediately to resolve the issue) are not acceptable reasons to be absent. All of these will be recorded as unauthorised absences. If your child arrives after the close of registration, this will also be recorded as unauthorised absence. 

Leave in term time will only be authorised in exceptional circumstances

Legal action that may be taken can include:

  • Issuing penalty notices: Each parent receives a penalty notice for each child who has unauthorised absence. The penalty is £60 or £120 depending on how soon the payment is made. So, if there are two parents and two children, the total penalties could be up to £480. Failure to pay my result in prosecution.
  • Taking parents to court for unauthorised absence: Education Act 1996 Section 444 (1) states that magistrates can fine each parent up to £1000 per child, add costs and impose Parenting Orders
  • Taking parents to court for persistent unauthorised absence: Education Act Section 444 (1A) states that magistrates can fine each parent up to £2,500 per child, impose Parenting Orders and/or impose a period of imprisonment of up to 3 months