Attendance
(please scroll to bottom of page for full Attendance Policy)
Meadowhead School seeks to ensure that all of its pupils receive a full-time education which will maximise the opportunities for each pupil to realise his/her true potential.
The school will strive to provide a welcoming, caring environment, whereby each member of the school community feels wanted and secure. School staff will work with pupils and their families to ensure each pupil attends school regularly and punctually.
The school will establish an effective system of incentives and rewards which acknowledges the efforts of pupils to improve their attendance and timekeeping and will challenge pupils and parents who give low priority to attendance and punctuality. To meet these objectives, Meadowhead School will establish an effective and efficient system of communication with pupils, parents and appropriate agencies to provide mutual information, advice and support.
Failure to attend school will result in procedures being put into place as outlined in the 'Attendance Policy' document at the foot of this page.
The 1996 Education Act requires that all pupils of compulsory school age receive suitable full-time education by regular attendance at school or otherwise
What the school expects of parents/carers
To fulfil their legal responsibility to ensure that their child attends school regularly, on time and prepared for the day
To contact school on the first day their child is absent for any reason and then on all subsequent days.
To arrange medical and dental appointments out of school times whenever possible, if this is not possible your child needs to obtain permission from their Pastoral Manager to leave school for their appointment and collect an Authorised Absence Pass from Student Reception before exiting the building
To avoid taking holidays in term time
To speak to relevant members of staff if they know of any problem which may prevent their child from attending school
To provide evidence to support all absences such as an appointment card/letter, a copy of a prescription slip with name and date visible or medication packaging with name and date visible. Alternatively if none of the above are available a note, signed by the parent/carer, school explaining the reason for absence. This will be filed and may be produced if requested by the Local Authority to support legal proceedings
Any student with attendance of 93% or below will be required to provide medical evidence for every absence so the absence may be authorised. Failure to provide suitable medical evidence will mean that the absence remains unauthorised.
Sixth Form
Sixth Form students are expected to attend all lessons and they should contact the school immediately if there is a problem. The Sixth Form Attendance Policy can be found in the dedicated Sixth Form area of our website
Holidays (Term Time Leave)
Government legislation does not permit parents/carers to take their child/ren out of school during term time as this can have a detrimental effect on their academic progress. Holidays will not be authorised in school time. Parents/carers wishing to apply for exceptional circumstances need to complete a Request for Exceptional Term Time Leave form (available at the foot of this page) at least 20 school days prior to the absence and give to your child’s Pastoral Manager. Upon receipt of a Request for Exceptional Term Time Leave a decision will be made, (the Headteachers decision is final), and parents will be notified only if leave is to be granted. If this request is not agreed the absence will be recorded as unauthorised and you may receive a Holiday Penalty Notice (fine) from the Local Authority.
You can also view the full 'LA Exceptional Leave During Term Time' policy below and visit Sheffield City Council's Attendance Matters website page.