Reporting Absence & Attendance

Reporting Absence

If your child is absent from school, please contact the school on the morning of each day they are absent.

You can report an absence in either of the following ways:

• Use the ParentMail communication tool.
• Call the Student Absence Line on 0117 952 7101.

If your child has a prolonged illness or experiences repeated periods of illness, the school may ask you to provide a medical note.

 

Medical Absence

Please try to arrange medical appointments outside of school hours whenever possible. If an appointment must take place during the school day:

• Your child should only be absent for the minimum amount of time necessary to attend the appointment.
• Please inform the school in advance of the appointment so that the absence can be recorded correctly on the attendance register.
• Advance notice also ensures that we can give permission for your child to leave school if they need to make their own way to the appointment.
• The school reserves the right to request evidence of the medical appointment, evidence should be sent to [email protected]

Medical appointments will not normally be authorised as a full day of absence. A full day may only be authorised for a hospital or specialist appointment, and a copy of the appointment letter must be provided as evidence.

Failure to follow these requirements may result in the absence being recorded as unauthorised.

 

Religious Observance

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE: EVERY DAY COUNTS. SUPPORT YOUR CHILD TO ACHIEVE THEIR BEST

Attendance

While 90% may sound like a good result, when it comes to school attendance, it means a significant amount of learning has been missed.

• 90% attendance over one school year equates to approximately 20 days of missed learning — around one month of school.
• If a student maintains 90% attendance throughout their secondary education, this could amount to approximately 100 days of missed learning.
• The Government classifies students with attendance below 90% as persistently absent. Research shows that persistent absence can have a significant impact on a student’s attainment and progress.

Supporting students with persistent absence is a particular focus for us this year.

We are committed to working with students and families where attendance may be a barrier to achievement. If you have concerns about your child’s attendance or would like support to improve it, please get in touch with us. We are always happy to work with you to help your child attend school regularly and make the most of their learning opportunities.

 

Penalty Notices

Fairfield High School and Bristol City Council work together to issue warnings and Penalty Notices under Section 444(A) of the Education Act 1996 (as amended by regulations in 2013) where students have high levels of unauthorised absence.

A Penalty Notice is a fine issued to parents/carers for failing to ensure that a child of compulsory school age (5–16) attends school regularly.

The current penalties are:

• £80 per parent, per child if paid within the first 21 days.
• £160 per parent, per child if paid between days 22 and 28.
• If the penalty is not paid in full within 28 days, the Local Authority may begin court proceedings. If prosecuted and convicted, a parent/carer could receive a fine of up to £1,000.

Penalty Notices may also be issued in other circumstances, including:

• Where an excluded student is found in a public place during school hours without a justifiable reason.
• Following a truancy sweep, where a student is found to be absent from school without authorisation.

Penalty Notices are intended as an alternative to prosecution and are used to encourage parents/carers to ensure that children attend school regularly and consistently.

 

Term-time holidays