Attendance & Absence
Section 30 of the 1980 Education Act places a duty on every parent of a child 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 or unauthorised. As defined by the
Scottish Government.
At the start of each school session, parents will be asked to provide contact details
including at least one emergency contact number. Parents are required to inform the
school if these contact details change during the course of the year.
Parents and carers are asked to inform the school if a pupil is unable to attend from
the start of the school day on the first day of absence. Failure to do so will result in
school staff accessing all contact numbers provided for the child. In terms of child
safety police will be contacted if all attempts to locate the child have been exhausted.
Parents should be asked to inform the school by letter or telephone if their child is
likely to be absent for some time, and to give the child a note on his or her return to
school confirming the reason for absence.
Parents of nursery pupils should also inform the school in the case of absence as
above. Thereafter the North Lanarkshire Council policy for non attendance at nursery
will be followed if required.
Every effort should be made to avoid family holidays during term time as this both
disrupts the child’s education and reduces learning time. Parents/guardians should
inform the school by letter of the dates before going on holiday.
Absences will be classified as authorised only in exceptional circumstances. Such
circumstances may include:
A family holiday judged to be important to the wellbeing and cohesion of the family,
following serious or terminal illness, bereavement or other traumatic events.
A family holiday classified under the ‘authorised absence’ category will not include
such reasons as:
the availability of cheap holidays
the availability of desired accommodation
poor weather experience during school holidays
holidays which overlap the beginning or end of term
parental difficulty obtaining leave (except in cases where evidence is
provided by the employer that it cannot accommodate leave during
school holidays without serious consequences).
Family holidays with the above similar characteristics will be classified as
unauthorised absence. Where the head teacher’s prior agreement has not
been sought the absence will automatically be classed as unauthorised.
Where most family holidays will be recorded as unauthorised absence (see
above) extended leave with parental consent will not be considered the same
as a family holiday.
Leave in such circumstances will be authorised under
circumstances such as:
extended overseas educational trips not organised by the school
short-term parental placement abroad
family returning to its country of origin (to care for a relative, or for
cultural reasons)
leave in relation to the children of travelling families
Parents may request permission for a child to be absent from school to make
an extended visit to relatives. For a request to be granted and the absence
recorded as authorised it must be in writing and detail the destination and
duration of the absence, and the provision to be made for the education of
the child during the period of absence. If no explanation is provided, the
absence will be recorded as unauthorised.
Staff monitor absences and lateness. Any concerns are discussed with the
Head Teacher as an when appropriate. The School Attendance Officer
investigates unexplained absence, and the authority has the power to write
to, interview and prosecute parents, or refer pupils to the reporter of the
children’s hearings if necessary.
