If you are experiencing difficulties in ensuring the regular school attendance of your child, we are here for you!
Whatever the reasons are for your child not attending school, please let us know, we care, and we are here to support you and your child.
If your child is anxious or worried about going to school, ask the school for help. Every child is entitled to additional support to help them engage with learning and there will be a named member of staff who has a specific responsibility for this.
Where and how to start getting the help and support you need:
- Contact your child’s school as a first step - By telephone, email, text, the school’s data communication system i.e. parent mail, letter, or walk in and request an appointment.
- Ensure, that your school has all up to date contact/ emergency contact details.
- Getting to the right person - Attendance is everyone’s concern. This person could be your: Head Teacher, Assistant Head Teacher, School Attendance Lead, Head of Year, Class Teacher, Pastoral Leader, Home School Liaison Officer, Attendance Officer, Teaching Assistant, anyone in school that you feel happy and comfortable speaking to.
- Other forms of support can be a friend, a neighbour, someone from your own community, a family support worker or other professional who works with you, they can attend school with you and ask for support.
- Be prepared - to have an open and honest conversation, the more information you can give the school, the more they can help you and give you the right support for you and your child.
- Bring information with you – the more detail you can give your school the better, names, telephone numbers, documents, contact details, for example, GP details, housing officer etc. This will allow school to set up a network of support for you.
- Work with School/ agencies- To create and engage with an individual attendance action support plan for your child.
Responsibilities as a parent or primary carer: The meaning of ‘parent’ in relation to a child includes any person who is not a parent but who has parental responsibility for the child or who has care of the child, as set out in section 576 of the Education Act 1996.
What are my responsibilities for my child’s attendance? As a parent, you are legally responsible for making sure your child gets a suitable fulltime education, usually from the age of 5 to 16.
For most parents, this will mean making sure your child is in school every day except when:
- Your child is too ill to go to school.
- You have permission for a leave of absence from your child’s school for them not to attend. You should only ask for this in exceptional circumstances.
- Your religious body has a day especially for religious observance.
There are also some other circumstances, for example where:
- Your local council is responsible for arranging your child’s transport to school and it is not available on that day or has not been provided yet.
- Your child attends an independent school that is beyond walking distance from home and your local council has not arranged for your child to board at or near the school or attend another school closer to home.
- 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.)
If you need more information or guidance please contact the
Targeted Attendance Support Service on 020 3373 0390 or by email: attendancetargeted.supportservice@newham.gov.uk
More useful information:
Please click on the Link below for more information:
‘Working together to improve school attendance’ (DFE external document)
The School attendance parental responsibility measures PDF (Department of Education)
