Receiving a good full-time education will give your child the best possible start in life.  Attending school regularly and punctually is essential if children are to make the most of opportunities available to them.

Our target for every pupil is that over the whole year they achieve at least 96% attendance which is in line with the Government's national expectation - the equivalent of 7 days absence in a year. Persistent absence (PA) is defined as an attendance rate of 90% or below.     

Poor attendance can seriously affect a child’s attainment in school, relationships with peers and the ability to form long lasting friendships.

What you can do to help…

Make sure your child arrives at school on time.  This encourages good timekeeping habits and reduces any classroom distractions.

If you child has to miss school, it is vital that you inform us on the first day of absence, preferably first thing in the morning.  Simply call the office and leave a message.

If you think your child is having difficulties attending school, contact us straight away.  Most problems can be dealt with very quickly.

Arriving Late

Our school days starts at 8.40am.  We encourage pupils to be ready to start work at this time. 

As soon as the classroom door opens (8.35am), pupils’ learning starts with morning work and challenges.

Pupils arriving after 8.45am must sign in at the school office.  The number of minutes late will be logged.

Being frequently late for school adds up to lost learning time.

• 5 minutes late every day adds up to 3 lost days of learning time.
• 15 minutes late every day is the same as being absent for 2 weeks a year.
• 30 minutes late every day is the same as being absent for 19 days a year.

Some strategies to improve your child’s punctuality:

• A good bedtime routine.
• Pack school bags the night before.
• Good morning routines
• Leave 5-10 minutes early to allow for traffic.

Reporting an absence

When your child is absent with prior permission, please contact the academy office as early as possible on each day of absence:

Unauthorised absence

If your child is absent and we do not receive an explanation from you, or consider the explanation unsatisfactory, we will record your child’s absence as ‘unauthorised’.

Authorised Absence

Most absences for acceptable reasons will be authorised by the academy …

• Sickness
• Unavoidable medical/dental appointments (where possible please arrange these for after school or during the holidays)
• Days of religious observance
• Exceptional family circumstances, such as bereavement
• A visit to a prospective school

The Academy will not authorise absence for the following reasons …

• Shopping trips
• Day trips
• Holidays
• Birthdays
• Looking after siblings or ill relatives

Holiday Requests

Government guidance has removed the permission for head teachers to agree to term time holiday requests.

Due to the disruptive effect on a child’s education, you are strongly advised to avoid booking a family holiday during term time.

Parents and carers do not have the right or entitlement to take their child out of school for a term time holiday.

Corby Primary Academy, in line with government directives, expects pupils to attend school for at least 96% of the time. This equates to approximately half a day’s absence every two weeks. If a pupil is absent for a whole day, their attendance for that week drops to 80%.

NORTHANTS COUNTY COUNCIL PENALTY NOTICE INFORMATION

Fixed penalty fines can be issued to parents or guardians if the children in their care are absent from school for any of the following reasons:

• Truancy (including pupils found during truancy patrols)
• Holidays taken during term time
• Persistent late arrival to class (after registration has closed, on 10 occasions in any 10-week period)
• Exclusion (pupils stopped on a truancy patrol in school hours during the first five days of an exclusion)
• Poor attendance (of five or more unauthorised sessions within a term)

• Penalty notices issued for offences that take place after 19 August 2024 will be charged at a new rate of £160 per parent per child. This can be paid at £80 if paid within 21 days.
• Any second penalty notice issued to the same parent for the same child within a rolling 3-year period will be issued at the rate of £160 to be paid within 28 days with no option for a discounted rate.
• A maximum of 2 penalty notices may be issued to a parent for the same child within a rolling 3-year period, so at the 3rd offence another course of action will need to be considered such as prosecution  in the Magistrates’ Court which could result in you receiving a Community Order, a fine of up to £2,500 per parent or carer, or a custodial sentence
• The threshold at which a penalty notice must be considered is set at 10 sessions (equivalent to 5 days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling 10-school week period. This may include absences because of arriving late after the register closes. The 10 school weeks may span different terms or school years

Decisions on whether to allow a leave of absence during term-time are made by individual schools, not the council.

There is no right to appeal. Fines will only be withdrawn if they are found to have been issued in error. If parents or carers believe an absence to have been classified incorrectly, they need to take this up with the school rather than the council, as whether or not the council issues a fine depends on the school's classification.

UNPAID FINES
If the fine is not paid, the council may begin legal proceedings in the Magistrates Court against the parents or guardians for failing to ensure their child's attendance at school. If convicted, each parent or guardian may face a fine of up to £2500.