Schools

Pupil Attendance and Absence

As you are aware, all schools in South Ayrshire Council are committed to ensuring that every pupil develops to his/her full potential. To help us fulfil this commitment, it is important that we continue to gather detailed and accurate information on pupil attendance and absence patterns. This information is vitally important, not only in terms of promoting the highest possible level of school attendance - but also in terms of ensuring pupil safety and welfare, and, where appropriate during periods of absence, ensuring entitlement to educational provision as outlined in the Standards in Scotland’s Schools Act 2000.

Information provided below relates to:

1. Guidelines for absences that relate to family holidays taken during term-time.
2. Extended leave with parental consent.
3. Advice regarding communication with your child’s school in the event of absence.
4. The codes that are now used by schools to record pupil absence and attendance.

The number of codes used to record pupil attendance and absence reflects national guidance issued by the Scottish Government Education Department (SEED). These codes are attached, together with a brief description and designation as “attendance”, “authorised absence” or “unauthorised absence”. These designations follow national guidelines and will be applied to attendance reporting at pupil, school and authority level.

• Absence and Attendance Policy Guidance for Parents

Family Holiday not Authorised by the School

Except in exceptional circumstances, schools are now unable to authorise family holidays that are taken during term time. Absences that result from term time holidays will be categorised as “unauthorised absence”. The exceptional circumstances under which schools can authorise a family holiday during term time include:

• A family holiday judged to be important to the well-being and cohesion of the family following serious or terminal illness, bereavement or other traumatic events

A family holiday classified under the “authorised absence” category should not include such reasons as:

• The availability of cheap holidays or desired accommodation
• Poor weather experienced during school holidays
• Holidays which overlap the beginning or end of term
• Parental difficulty obtaining leave (with local judgement applied in cases where evidence is provided by the employer that it cannot accommodate leave during school holidays without serious consequences)
  

Extended Leave with Parental Consent

Where most family holidays will be recorded as unauthorised absence (see above), extended leave with parental consent will not be considered to be the same as a family holiday. Extended leave with parental consent will be recorded separately outside the figures for attendance and absence, and include 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

Advice to Parents

Schools will now follow-up all instances of pupil non-attendance in order to accurately record the reason for absence using the coding system below. It would extremely helpful in this regard, if parents, guardians and carers could contact school at the beginning and end of the absence period – indicating their awareness of and reason for the absence. It would also be helpful if an indication of the expected date of return to school could be given. Where no information is provided absences will be considered to be unexplained and therefore recorded as unauthorised.

When your child returns to school following a period or illness a letter should be sent to the school and include the following information:

• Pupils name
• Class or year group
• The dates of the absence
• The reason for the absence
• Signature of parent/carer