Absences

Reporting an Absence:

It’s important to inform the school if your child is going to be absent. On the first day of your child's illness, please telephone the school to tell them that your child will be staying at home. The school may ask about the nature of the illness and how long you expect the absence to last.

If it becomes clear that your child will be away for longer than expected, phone the school (01604 830995) as soon as possible to explain this.

Where possible, please organise medical appointments etc. outside of school hours. If this is not possible, you should let us know beforehand. Children must be signed out of the office by a responsible adult, and report back to the office when they return to school.

Attendance:

Attendance is the same as safeguarding: it is ‘everyone’s business, all the time’. Maintaining good attendance at Rothersthorpe CE Primary School is the responsibility of everyone in our school community - leadership, parents/carers, pupils, governors and all staff.

Communication about attendance is crucial with yourselves. For this to work effectively, it is about the positive relationships between us both, remembering that there are families behind attendance figures but at times allowing for honesty and acceptance of the tough messages about attendance.

Holidays

It is very important that your child attends school throughout the academic year. Absences for holidays during term time are not authorised unless there are special circumstances. Absences will not be authorised during end of Key Stage Assessment test periods.

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 the NHS guidance to help you make that judgement.

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

Cough and cold. A child with a minor cough or cold may attend school. If the cold is accompanied by a raised temperature, shivers or drowsiness, the child should stay off school, visit the GP and return to school 24 hours after they start to feel better. If your child has a more severe and long-lasting cough, consult your GP. They can give guidance on whether your child should stay off school.
Raised temperature. If your child has a raised temperature, they shouldn't attend school. They can return 24 hours after they start to feel better.
Rash. Skin rashes can be the first sign of many infectious illnesses, such as chickenpox and measles. Children with these conditions shouldn't attend school. If your child has a rash, check with your GP or practice nurse before sending them to school.
Headache. A child with a minor headache doesn't usually need to be kept off school. If the headache is more severe or is accompanied by other symptoms, such as raised temperature or drowsiness, then keep the child off school and consult your GP.
Sore throat. A sore throat alone doesn't have to keep a child from school. But if it's accompanied by a raised temperature, your child should stay at home.
Chickenpox. If your child has chickenpox, keep them off school until all their spots have crusted over.
Vomiting and diarrhoea. Children with diarrhea and/or vomiting must be kept off school until at least 48 hours after the last time they vomit or have diarrhoea. Most cases of diarrhoea and vomiting in children get better without treatment, but if symptoms persist, consult your GP.

School Closures:

If the school is ever closed, for example due to snow, this information will be relayed to parents via the school’s social media channels, via text and on the school website.