Attendance & Punctuality

Reporting your child's absence

There may be times when your child has to miss school because he or she is ill. Please notify us of this on the first day (and every subsequent day) of absence by 9am.

If there are patterns of sickness, we work with your child, you and your health professionals to try and resolve these issues.

If your child is ill or absent for any other reason, contact the school on the first day of absence:

Contact details:

Secondary and Sixth Form absences:

Telephone: 01303 842424

Email: fasecondaryattendance@turnerschools.com

MCAS App: use the messaging facility

Improving school attendance is a collective responsibility, and addressing this challenge requires the collaboration of all stakeholders. The Government has launched a national campaign targeting parents and carers to emphasise the importance of regular school attendance, encapsulated in the tagline "moments matter, attendance counts."

As a school, we extend our gratitude to you for supporting your child in attending school daily and making the most of every opportunity provided. Your commitment plays a crucial role in your child's educational journey, facilitating their academic progress and personal growth

Thank you for your partnership in promoting regular attendance and for embracing the opportunities provided to your child. Together, we can create a nurturing environment where every student thrives and succeeds academically and beyond

Our whole school approach to attendance and punctuality

At Folkestone Academy, we have the highest aspirations for your child: we know that every lesson counts towards your child’s achievement and those who attend school regularly make the best progress in their learning. We also know that you, as your child’s parent/carer, want your child to get on well in life. Children only get one chance at school, and your child’s chances of a successful future may be affected by not attending school every day on time. When children do not attend or are late, they:

Our attendance target this year is 95%.

Is there a proven link between attendance and children’s achievement in school?

Yes. There is a clear link between poor attendance at school and lower academic achievement. In primary schools, less than 65% of children get good results in Maths and English in schools when they have an average of 15 days absence, compared to around 90% in schools where the average is less than 8 days.

Many parents are surprised how quickly their children accumulate 15 days absence – we will send you a termly letter letting you know what your child’s absence has been for the term; as well as ensuring your child’s attendance is discussed at parent meetings.

Of the children who miss more than 50 per cent of school, only 3% manage to achieve five or more GCSEs at grades 9-4. 73% of children who have over 95% attendance achieve five or more GCSEs at grades 9-4. While GCSEs may seem some time away for primary pupils, setting good attendance and punctuality patterns from an early age will really help.

What does the law say?

By law, all children of compulsory school age must get a suitable, full-time education. As a parent/carer, you are responsible for making sure this happens.

Once your child is registered at Folkestone Academy, you are responsible for making sure he or she attends regularly. If your child fails to attend regularly – even if they miss school without you knowing – the Local Authority (LA) may

take legal action against you.

The LA is responsible for making sure that parents/carers fulfil their responsibilities, and the school must tell the LA if your child is regularly absent from school. As a parent/carer, you are committing an offence if you fail to make sure that your child attends school regularly. You run the risk of being prosecuted by the LA if your child’s attendance is poor; parents/carers can be fined up to £2,500 or imprisoned for failing to ensure that their child attends school regularly.

At Folkestone Academy, we work with you in partnership to ensure that this does not happen. We strongly encourage you to speak to the school if you are having problems getting your child to school on time.

What about absences?

There may be times when your child has to miss school because she or he is ill. Please notify us of this on the first day (and every subsequent day) of absence by 9am. If there are patterns of sickness, we work with your child, you and your health professionals to try and resolve these issues.

If your child is ill or absent for any other reason, contact the school on the first day of absence:

Contact details:

Secondary including Sixth Form: 01303 842424 or email: fasecondaryattendance@turnerschools.com

Please note that for absences that extend to a week (5 school days) or more, some form of medical evidence is required; this can be in the form of a Doctor’s/walk-in centre note, copy of the prescription or sight of prescribed medication.

Illness – When should you keep your child off school?

When your child is unwell, it can be hard deciding whether to keep them off school.

Use common sense when deciding whether or not your child is too ill to attend school. Ask yourself the following questions:

The NHS also publishes a useful guideline about several common conditions.

If your child is ill, it’s likely to be due to one of a few minor health conditions. Whether you send your child to school will depend on how severe you think the illness is. Use this guidance to help you make that judgement:

Remember: if you’re concerned about your child’s health, consult a health professional.

Holiday during Term Time

Requests for holidays in term time will NOT be authorised other than in exceptional circumstances (eg family bereavement).

If the absence is not authorised by the Principal and the holiday is taken anyway, the case will be referred to KCC Attendance Service who will issue a Penalty Notice to each parent for each child taken out of school.

For more information please read our Attendance Policy via the Policy section here.