Attendance
Consistent daily attendance at the school plays a vital role in supporting your child's academic progress.
We believe that attending school every day helps students maximise their learning potential, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to set them up for a bright future.
This page explains how we work with families to ensure every student gets the most out of their education at Churchill.
How to contact us to report an absence
We are here to help in any way we can regarding your child’s attendance. If you have any queries or need to report an absence, please contact the attendance team on attend@churchill-academy.org or call 01934 852771 option 1.
If your child is too unwell to attend school, please contact the attendance team before 8:30am. We will need to be informed of each day of absence.
By law, schools are required to record all student absences. If you fail to notify us of your child’s absence, it will be recorded as unauthorised.
Medical appointments
The Academy acknowledges that scheduling medical or dental appointments outside of school hours may not always be feasible.
Should your child require a medical appointment during the school day, please inform the attendance team in advance and provide supporting documentation, such as a letter or digital confirmation (email or text), unless it is an emergency.
Students are expected to attend as much of the school day as their circumstances allow.
Arriving on time
Regular attendance and punctuality are essential for academic progress and personal growth. It can help students start their day calmly, reducing the anxiety associated with being late.
Our typical school day runs as follows:
8 am: The site is open and breakfast is available for all students.
8:30 am: The first bell for tutor time will sound, all students should be on site and making their way to registration.
8:35 am: All students should be in tutor time or assembly for their registration - the register is a legal document.
9 am - 3:05pm: Students will be in lessons and need to be on time for each session.
Any student who arrives late will receive a late mark from their teacher. If a student is late five or more times in one week, it will result in a sanction. You can view the full day timings here.
Leave during Term Time
Any holiday or absence requests will be treated as unauthorised, unless there is an exceptional reason. We kindly request that you inform us of any planned term time leave in advance by completing our Absence Request Form. This can be downloaded below, or students can collect a printed form from the attendance office.
Emergency situations in the family must also be carefully considered. Absence from school due to emergencies handled by adult family members may not always be suitable or in the child's best interests. To ensure your child can continue attending school, please make every effort to find alternative arrangements whenever possible.
Please note that unauthorised leave during term time may result in a penalty notice or even prosecution. Further information on this can be found here or at the bottom of this webpage.
The following outlines the academic term dates for the Academy, which may be helpful in your scheduling. You can view the term dates here.
Further information on penalty notices
Under section 444 of the Education Act 1996, the Local Authority may issue a Penalty Notice to a parent or parents for unauthorised term-time holidays or consider prosecution. A ‘parent’ includes any person who has parental responsibility or who has day-to-day responsibility for the pupil’s attendance under section 576 of the Education Act 1996.
Fines are issued to each parent, for each child, as below:
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First Penalty Notice [first offence]: £80 if paid within 21 days, rising to £160 if paid between 22 and 28 days.
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Second Penalty Notice [second offence of an unauthorised term time holiday within a three-year rolling period]: £160 [flat rate].
If there is a third offence within a three-year rolling period, the school can refer the case to the Local Authority for consideration for prosecution at the Magistrates court.
If a Penalty Notice is not paid in full before the expiry date of the period for paying it, the local authority may instigate a prosecution under Section 444 of the Education Act 1996.
Further information about this can be found in the Attendance Policy or via the Local Authority.
Every absence, even when it is unavoidable, disrupts learning. Every absence means a child misses out on gaining valuable knowledge, including the introduction of new topics, interesting class discussions, and the setting of assignments. A consistent learning environment helps children establish a sense of community, which supports their emotional health by providing a stable routine and a supportive environment.
We work hard to foster effective communication between students, parents and staff. We encourage parents to establish consistent routines, promote healthy sleep habits and facilitate preparation for the subsequent school day to support their children's engagement with education.
By placing a high value on attendance, we are empowering our students to realise their full potential both inside and outside the classroom, with every day serving as an opportunity to set no limits on what they can achieve.
Attendance in Numbers
96% attendance is classed as “good attendance” at school.
Students who drop below this percentage are likely to be put on the Attendance protocol. This is sent to highlight to parents or carers when we are noticing a drop in their child’s attendance.
We can offer support that we believe may help improve your child’s attendance if necessary, to realise our ambition that all students have “good” attendance at school.
