Absence and Attendance

Heckmondwike Grammar School has excellent standards of attendance. Regular attendance is important and absence should be restricted to the unavoidable. It is a legal requirement that schools keep accurate records of student attendance.

Absence due to illness

  1. a) On the first day of absence you are requested to telephone the school on 01924 402202 and selecting the attendance extension or complete the Report an Absence button on the left of the screen. If the absence affects subsequent days, we would be grateful if you would ring the Attendance Officer to confirm this.
  2. b) On the day that your child returns to school, please add a note in the student planner to confirm the reason for the absence.

Advance permission for medical appointments should be communicated to the Attendance Officer or the relevant Student Support Manager using the Report an Absence button.

Absence due to covid-19

Students who test positive should avoid contact with others ( i.e. stay at home) for 3 days. This would be from the date of the first positive test, rather than when symptoms first appear. You are requested to telephone the school on 01924 402202 and selecting the attendance extension or complete the Report a Positive Covid-19 Test Result button on the left of the screen.

Leave of Absence Request

Amendments to The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 made in 2013 removed references to family holiday and extended leave as well as the statutory threshold of ten school days. The amendments make clear that headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.

All requests for absence must be made in advance in writing,  by using the button on the left  of the screen. Please  state clearly the dates of the intended absence together with the number of school days that will be affected. Leave of absence cannot be authorised retrospectively.

Authorised and unauthorised absence
 
The law requires that all schools must show the difference between authorised and unauthorised absence.

Examples of absence which would be authorised by the school are:

  • Sickness
  • Medical or dental appointments which cannot be arranged outside school hours
  • Days of religious observance
  • Exceptional circumstances such as bereavement

Examples of absence which we would regard as unauthorised are:

  • Truancy
  • Staying at home to look after younger children or sick relatives
  • Birthdays
  • Resting after a late night
  • Relatives visiting or visiting relatives
  • Attending concerts or having days out to attend local events
  • Any absence about which the school has not been informed by letter and approved

Lateness

Students who are late for registration (either in the morning or afternoon) must sign in with the Attendance Officer.

To report an absence or lateness please use the attached link.

Our statement on taking holidays in term time can be found below.