At King Charles I School we are committed to supporting all our students and young people to attend school every day as we recognise that being around friends and teachers is the best way for students to learn and reach their potential. We strongly believe that education is a right, and we know that if we want to give our students the best start in life, we must ensure that we collaborate with our families and other stakeholders to break down the barriers and challenges facing our young people. Being in school is important to every student’s achievement, wellbeing, and wider development. Time in school keeps students safe as well as providing them with access to both ongoing pastoral and academic support. Plus, evidence shows that the students with the highest attendance throughout their time in school gain the best GCSE and A Level results. (Department for Education May 2023). 

As parents/carers, you have a legal duty to ensure your child receives a full time-education. We ask you to work with us to promote and reward good attendance and punctuality. You play a vital role in supporting your child to access their education by fostering a culture of commitment to learning. You are responsible for ensuring your child’s regular and on-time attendance, which not only supports their academic progress but also instils essential life skills. 

Sometimes your child may not want to attend school. We understand this and we encourage parents/carers and students to be open and honest with us about the reasons for absence. If your child does not want to attend school, it is never better to cover up their absence or give in to pressure to let your child stay at home. This can give the impression to your child that attendance does not matter and can make things worse. As a school, we need to understand the reasons why your child may not want to attend school so we can support you and your child in the best way possible. For students with medical conditions or other circumstances that may at times prevent regular attendance, we will fully support each student to be able to attend as much as possible. Our school will use an individual health plan and will work alongside other relevant professionals such as health colleagues, and yourselves, to best support them. 

To report student absence, please:

• Call 01562 512880 before 8.50 am or
• Email using the Attendance option on the ‘contact us’ page

There are only a small number of circumstances where missing a school day is permitted. Your child must attend every day that the school is open, unless: 

• Your child is too ill to attend.  

• You have asked in advance and been given permission by the school for your child to be absent on a specific day due to exceptional circumstances.  

• Your child cannot go to school on a specific day because they are observing a religious event.  

• Your Local Authority is responsible for arranging your child’s transport to school and it is not available or has not been provided yet.  

• Your child does not have a permanent address, and you are required to travel for work. This exception only applies if your child attends their usual school or another school where you are staying as often as possible. This must be 200 half days or more a year if they are aged 6 or older.  

These are the only circumstances under which schools can permit your child to be absent. We encourage families to contact the schools and speak to form tutors, heads of year, and pastoral support staff to discuss any concerns that you may have around your child’s attendance. We encourage families to contact the schools and speak to form tutors, heads of year, and pastoral support staff to discuss any concerns that you may have around your child’s attendance. You can access their contact details here.