Commitment to attendance. Please read our full attendance strategy. 

We are committed to meeting our obligation with regards to school attendance through our whole-school culture and ethos that values good attendance, including:

• Promoting good attendance

• Reducing absence, including persistent and severe absence

• Ensuring every pupil has access to the full-time education to which they are entitled

• Acting early to address patterns of absence

• Building strong relationships with families so pupils have the support in place to attend school.

At Pencalenick we recognise that evidence shows that securing excellent attendance at school is key to ensuring positive outcomes for children and young people. We have the highest expectations of all our students. Poor attendance leaves students vulnerable to falling behind, creating gaps in their learning, and diminishing their self-confidence.

All children of compulsory school age have a right to receive full-time education and every school has a legal responsibility to provide full-time education for all of its pupils.

Parents and carers must ensure that their children of compulsory school age who are registered at school attend regularly.  Good attendance has a positive impact on progress, so it is important your child is in school as much as possible.  Of course, we understand that there are times when this is not possible and outline our procedures for this below.

^{Reporting Absence}

• If your child is not going to be in school, you MUST call the numbers below and speak to someone or leave a message as follows:

• If your child attends Pencalenick main site, call 01872 520385

  If you child attends Mount Charles ARB, call 01726 73911, or 01872 520385

  If your child attends Falmouth ARB, call 01326 314070, or 01872 520385

  If your child attends Brannel ARB, call 01726 982109, or 01872 520385

  If your child attends Bude ARB, call 01288 493105, or 01872 520385

• Ideally, phone calls need to be made by 8.30am at the latest, so that we can inform the class tutor and record it on the register.

• It is also important for us to know if your child is going to be late.  Again, please call as above or leave a message.  If your child is not in school by 9.30am and we have not heard from you, Reception will call you to ensure that your child is safe  and to determine the reason for absence.

• If there is no reply, we will begin the process of working through all the contact you have provided.  Please always ensure that we have a correct, up-to-date number for your and all your emergency contacts.

• If your child is ill, please call  on each day of the illness unless you have been advised to keep your child off for a certain amount of time and we are aware of this.  If there are any exceptional circumstances for absence, including medical appointments, these must be authorised in advance.

• If you are collecting your child during the school day, you must come to Reception and your child will be brought to you.  Children must only be collected from Reception and a Signing Out slip completed. 

^{Holidays During Term Time}

The Department of Education has made amendments to the 2006 regulations.  These make it clear that Head Teachers may not grant leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.  In the light of these changes parents and carers need to be aware that it will no longer be possible to authorise Leave of Absence unless the exceptional circumstances have been explained.  Reasons such as "cheaper in term time" or "more convenient" are no longer acceptable.

For more information please see: http://www.education.gov.uk/can-i-take-my-child-on-holiday-in-term-time?

We publish the dates of school terms well in advance of the start of the new school year, to help you plan your holidays. When you book your holiday, please check that it does not clash with the school terms.

However, we understand that occasionally time off cannot be avoided during term time, but this must be applied for in advance and is at the Headteacher's discretion. Please do not assume that you will automatically get permission for the absence because you have filled in a holiday request form.

When completing this form please give some thought to the 'exceptional circumstances' that you feel make it necessary for you to take your child out of school during term time.  This may include your child’s behaviour, medical condition or complex needs.

In order to counteract the effects of missed teaching and learning, please suggest some activities that your child would enjoy completing whilst they are away.  This may involve anything from bringing back a memento of a place they have visited, to keeping a diary of their time away, etc.

Reduced or Part Time Timetable

Occasionally, and in exceptional circumstances, a reduced timetable can be arranged. 

Reasons for a school and parent/carer agreeing to a reduced timetable could include:

• Medical reasons - where a pupil has a serious medical condition where recovery is the priority outcome.
• As part of a short-term support package where a pupil is struggling in the school setting, perhaps with behaviour.
• As part of a planned re-integration into school following an extended absence following, for example, exclusion, non-attendance or school refusal. 
• Any consideration of a reduced timetable must include the Local Authority. In the case of a reduced timetable, the school remains responsible for the educational provision.

For further information on part time attendance for learners of statutory school age, please click on the links below.