Attendance

Do you have a question about attendance? You may find the answer here.

My child is unwell. What should I do?

Please let the school office know by 9:30am each day that your child is due to be absent including the reason for their absence.

You can call the school office on 0151 334 4348, email us at schooloffice@brookhurst.wirral.sch.uk or use the parent app “School Spider” and on the menu there is the option to “Report Absence”.

How long should my child be off school for when they are poorly?

You can see the Uk Health Security agency website for guidance on a number of illnesses for information on how long your child should be absent for here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities/children-and-young-people-settings-tools-and-resources

My child has a Doctors/Dentist/Hospital appointment, can they have time off?

We do ask that where possible these appointments are made outside of school hours, however we understand that sometimes this isn’t possible. If your child requires time away from school to attend an appointment, please let the School Office know in the earliest instance and ensure that appointment confirmation is provided.

I don’t have any proof of an appointment as I have made the appointment on the day/over the phone. What do I do?

If you do not have any proof of appointment before the appointment takes place, please let us know anyway before your child is due to be absent as most receptionists will provide an appointment slip on the day. As long as we have been informed that your child will be absent for an appointment in advance, we can accept the proof after the appointment has taken place. Appointments taken without any proof of appointment will be unauthorised.

If I tell you that my child is sick, do you have to authorise the absence?

NO. It's the school's discretion whether to authorise the absence or not. Absence should only be for unavoidable reasons. Schools generally will accept the reason given to them by parents/carers but if they have any cause for concern, they do not have to authorise the absence and they may request evidence to support the reason given. If there is reason to believe that a sickness absence has been reported but the absent child is known to be on holiday, the Headteacher has the authority to override the reason provided by the parent.

Are holidays during term time allowed?

Holidays during term time are not authorised. All requests for leave whether this be to leave early or a full day’s absence MUST have a “Leave of absence during term time” form completed and handed in to the School Office.

On occasions there may be a reason for leave in exceptional circumstances, this MUST be provided in writing to the headteacher using the “Leave of absence during term time” form and a decision will be advised by Mr Williams.

Will I be fined for taking my child out of school?

DFE guidance states that a fine may be issued upon missing 10 unauthorised sessions of school. From August 2024, the fine for school absences across the country will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days.

In the case of repeated fines, if a parent receives a second fine for the same child within any three-year period, this will be charged at the higher rate of £160.

Fines per parent will be capped to two fines within any three-year period. Once this limit has been reached, other actions like a parenting order or prosecution will be considered.

If you are prosecuted and attend court because your child hasn’t been attending school, you could get a fine of up to £2,500.