To make an application for absence to be considered by Mr Godden, please collect an absence request form from the School Office.

Attendance

Your child will need to attend school every day. If they cannot come to school for any reason e.g. illness, parents/carers must contact school on the first morning of absence to let the school know the reason why their child will not be in school, and keep us updated on subsequent days of illness. Parents/carers can contact us via phone (01534 851812), email, or by coming into the front office to see the school secretary. If your child is not at school and we do not receive a message from you by 9.30am, a phone call from our School Secretary will be made to parents. If we cannot contact someone, then a member of the senior leadership team would phone our Education Welfare Service for advice.

Punctuality

School starts at 8.45am. Children who arrive in plenty of time and feel settled as they come into school have a good start to the day. We encourage families to drop children into school by 8.40am. If your child arrives in their classroom later than 8.45am, they will be marked late in the register. 

What happens if my child is late?

If your child is late on a regular basis within two weeks, a member of the leadership team will get in touch with you to let you know and to offer support. We want to work together with you so that your child can arrive at school in time, so that they are ready for their learning and feel settled in the morning. If your child continues to be late, you will be invited into school for a meeting to offer support about how we can work together to ensure your child is on time. This will also include writing an action plan. If lateness continues after this, then we will request involvement from Education Welfare Service and they will also be able to offer support to your family.

Leave during term time

The Education Department and St Martin's School, do not support leave during term time.  

You do not have the automatic right to withdraw your child from school. You must request permission in advance from the head teacher. You must make a strong case to justify why your child should be granted permission to be away from school during term time. 

Your child's absence from school will disrupt the continuity of their learning.

In exceptional circumstances, head teachers have the discretionary power to grant leave. It starts from the premise that every day counts and that permission is only authorised in exceptional circumstances. Leave is not granted as a reward for good attendance. When parents request leave, each case is considered carefully taking into account:

• The age of the child;

• The time of year;

• The nature and purpose of the trip;

• Family circumstances;

• Attendance pattern of the pupil;

• Previous requests.

 

If you need to request leave from school, please obtain a form from our School Secretary. Please fill in the form with as much detail as possible and return it to the School Office. We will send you a letter or email about your request within five working days. If we need more information, you will be invited to discuss your request with a member of the leadership team.

Your legal responsibility as a parent

Parents/carers are required by article 12 of the Education (Jersey) Law 1999 to ensure that if their children of compulsory school age (aged five to 16) receive a full time education. This is either by registering a child at a school, or by arranging an alternative to school.

Education (Jersey) ​Law 1999​​ 

Informing the school of absence

If your child is going to be absent, you must inform your school on the first day of your child's absence and keep your school updated on subsequent days.

If you don't do this it may result in your child’s absence being recorded as unauthorised.

If you're worried about your child's absence

If you're worried about your child’s attendance, please make an appointment to see Mrs Cooper or Mr Godden.

Your school will support you in every way they can and this may sometimes involve the school’s Education Welfare Officer (EWO) from the Education Department. They will work with you and your school to address concerns about attendance, punctuality and welfare.

further information

For more information regarding school absence, please see the Government School Attendance Policy below, or visit the Government website for the most up to date information.