Pupil Absence Reporting Line Telephone Number: 0141 287 0039
Within Glasgow Primary Schools good attendance is encouraged at all times and children rewarded accordingly. Parents are asked to contact the Pupil Absence Reporting Line if their child is going to be absent. This should be done before 9.30 on the first day of absence. If the child is going to be absent for some time, it would be helpful to know at the earliest opportunity. The school uses daily text messaging to inform parents of their child’s absence if no contact is made. All unexplained absence is investigated by the school and appropriate action taken. The Pupil Absence Reporting Line (PARL) service has been created to provide an efficient flexible way for parents/carers to report absence.
It is recognised that in some circumstances, for example, to report or discuss a sensitive issue, you may still require to speak directly with the school. The following guidance should be applied: Please phone the Pupil Absence Reporting Line to report the following absences:
Sickness absence: if the absence lasts more than one day, parents and carers are required to call on subsequent days to provide an update. A letter should be provided to the school when the child returns from their absence. ?
Medical or dental appointments: Parents and carers should call the PARL to report absences for medical or dental appointments. The school requires a letter or appointment card as evidence of the appointment to ensure permission is given to be absent from class.
To make sure you receive the right support you require, parents and carers should still contact the school directly to report absences of a sensitive or personal nature, for example: ? Bereavement; ? Serious illness, for example, an absence which is going to last more than one week; Injury, for example, broken limb;? Contagious diseases or illness.
The pupil absence service is provided by a dedicated team of experienced Education support staff. The information you provide to the team is updated in the school’s system when you call, so that we are immediately aware of all absence information.
Parents / carers do not have an automatic right to take their child out of school without permission during term-time.
The Head of Establishment can only authorise time off during term-time in exceptional
circumstances, including:
- Short-term parental/carer placement abroad
- Family returning to its country of origin for family reasons
- The period immediately after an illness or accident
- A period of serious or critical illness of a close relative
- A domestic crisis which causes serious disruption to the family home, causing temporary relocation
Time off during term-time for the following reasons is not acceptable and will be recorded as unauthorised absence:
- Availability of cheap holidays or desired accommodation
- Holidays which overlap the beginning or end of term
Clearly with no explanation from the parent/carer, the absence is unauthorised and will be marked as such.
Section 30 of the 1980 Education Act lays a duty on every parent/carer of a child or young person of “school age” to ensure that their child attends school regularly. Attendance must be recorded twice a day; morning and afternoon. Regulation 7 of the Education (School and Placing Information) (Scotland) Amendment etc.
Regulations 1993 requires each child’s absence from school to be recorded in the school register as authorised; e.g. approved by the authority, or unauthorised; e.g. unexplained by the parent/carer (truancy) or excluded from school.
