Attendance Reporting for Parents
As a school we have a duty to ensure that all students attend regularly so they achieve their full potential. The majority of our students have been out of school for some time or have been on part-time programmes or both, so although we do have high expectations we want to work with our students and families to achieve the optimum by being fair and supportive.
If a student’s attendance drops below 90% it is brought to the attention of the Attendance Officer and they will liaise directly with you in order to encourage good attendance.
Parents informing us of any absences due to illness does not automatically guarantee the absence will be authorised. This will be determined by the school, depending on the current level of attendance. Unauthorised absence marks will be give for all absences we are not made aware of.
Please report all absences to the school before 8:30am using the main phone number 01634 944575 or by emailing attendance@alchemyschools.co.uk
Medical Appointments
Please can parents try wherever possible to arrange medical appointments outside of school time. If this is not possible then please can we request that students do not take the whole day off. We will also ask that you provide appointment documentation in order for the absence to be authorised.
Please send all appointment documentation to attendance@alchemyschools.co.uk
Holidays
No holidays during term-time will be authorised. We expect parents to notify us if they have booked a holiday, using the Leave of Absence Form. This form will need to be downloaded from the school’s website, completed fully and returned to the School Office at least 3 weeks prior to the holiday taking place.
Due to legislation changes in August 2024, the Head of School can no longer authorise holidays during term-time. The Department of Education has amended the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulation 2006 removing the Head of School’s ability to authorise any leave of absence for a family holiday, as per the legislation any holiday absence will now be recorded as unauthorised. However, should there be any exceptional circumstances of Head of School can use their discretion in these circumstances.
Penalty Notices
As from 2005, Kent Local Authority (LA) introduced Penalty Notices for unauthorised absence from school of at least 10 sessions (5 days) during any 100 possible school sessions. A separate Penalty Notice can be issued to each parent for each child.
Penalty Notices are issued to each parent of each child and the amount will be £160 if paid within 28 days, reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days.
If a second penalty notice is issued within a rolling 3 year period, then the charge will be a flat rate of £160 per parent per child if paid within 28 days.
In both instances failure to pay the penalty in full at the end of the 28 day period may result in prosecution by the Kent PRU and Attendance Service.
In the event of three or more periods of unauthorised absence within a 3 rolling year period, a penalty notice will not be issued. A referral will be made to Kent PRU and Attendance Service Courts team who will consider the case for prosectution.
