Attendance
Children are entitled to a full-time education which is suitable to their age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs they may have and we will endeavour to encourage the children to attend, and to put in place appropriate procedures to support regular attendance. We believe that the most important factor in promoting good attendance is the development of positive attitudes towards the academy. To this end, we strive to make our academy a happy and rewarding experience for all children.
There is a relationship between attendance of pupils and their development, attainment and progress.
The academy is committed to promoting good attendance as part of its dedication to ensure quality educational provision to give its pupils the best start in life. The law requires all parents to ensure their child’s regular attendance at school.
The attendance policy for Leigh Academy Bearsted can be found on our policies page.
If your child is absent, please contact the school office each day by telephone by 8:30am on that day informing them, with the specific reason for your child’s absence.In cases where absences remain unexplained, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised and may be referred to the Attendance Service.
Medical and Dental Appointments
Medical and dental appointments must be made out of school hours. If your child needs to miss part of the day to attend an appointment, please inform the academy office giving full details and providing confirmation of your appointment. Your child will need to be collected from the school office where they will be signed out and, if returning the same day, signed back into school.
Permanent/Temporary Disability
Any permanent or temporary disability which may affect performance, participation in PE/dance or any other school activity should be notified to the school in writing without delay. It is the responsibility of parents to ensure information that is essential to their child’s well-being is not withheld.
Lateness
Children arriving late, even if only by a few minutes, should report to the school office where they will be signed in and escorted to their classroom.
Collection of Children from School
If you usually collect your child from school but are unable to do so on a particular day please contact the academy office (before midday if possible) with the name of the person who will be collecting your child. Parents must ensure that any person collecting their child must be aware of their “password” (set upon enrollment) for their child. Please also contact the office if you are going to be late to collect your child.
Leave of Absence
Absence in term time will not be authorised except in very exceptional circumstances. Permission must be obtained in writing from the Principal. Unauthorised absence will be reported to the Educational Welfare Officer and a fine may be incurred. Absence results in missed work and disrupted teaching.
Sickness
If your child becomes unwell during the day or if we have any concerns about an injury we will contact a parent. It is important to keep the school office up to date with any changes in contact details.