Attendance

Attendance at school is very important both for the wellbeing and future success of all children.  At Trumpington Park, we are committed to supporting families to ensure children regularly attend school so that they can excel in their educational pathway.  Please find below some information and some links to documents which you may find useful.

What happens if my child is late to school?

The school gates open at 8:30am when children can enter school and complete important morning work. The school day starts at 8:45am when the register is taken. If your child arrives after 8:45am, they will enter through the School Office. Being late will affect an individual's attendance data.

Learning begins from when the classroom doors open so it is important that the children are here on time and in school everyday.

What should I do if my child is ill or absent from school?

Please check Is my child too ill for school? - NHS for advice on whether your child is well enough to attend school. We ask that a child's absence is reported to the school office by phone or email before 9.00am on the first morning of absence.  If an absence is not reported, a member of staff will telephone your child's contact to check the child is safe and to record the correct attendance code on the register.  If your child is off for more than one day, you should update the office each morning as to why they are still absent from school.  

What should I do if my child has a medical appointment?

All appointments should be made, wherever possible, outside of school hours.  If your child needs to attend an appointment during school hours, please notify the office in advance and provide an appointment card/message.

Attendance Policy

The Attendance Policy followed by Meridian Trust Academies adheres to DfE and LA Guidance, which includes the use of legal action and Penalty Notices (fines currently at a rate of up to £120 per parent, per child; failure to pay may result in court proceedings).  The policy is available via the trust's website (https://www.meridiantrust.co.uk/key-information/attendance/).

For details of Non-attendance and the law, please refer to the Cambridgeshire County Council website.

Term Time Absence Request Form

Term time absence is strongly discouraged, we would always ask for you to speak to our attendance team when considering term time absence.

However, if you need to request it, please ensure you submit this request IN ADVANCE of your child being absent from school.  
We ask for 3 weeks' notice for admin and discussion.  Decisions will be notified in writing.  You may be asked to supply further information or attend a meeting to discuss your request.

• Further Support for Attendance