Lateness/Absence

Both of these are damaging to a child’s education and need to be avoided where at all possible. 

Registration and Punctuality

Our school hours are 8:35-3:20 for all children.

• All classrooms will open their doors at 8.35am to allow children a soft start to the day.
• All children should be in their classrooms by 8.50am. Gates close at 8:45am. Electronic registration is used in all year groups and taken twice per day at 8:50am and 12:50pm for KS1 and 1:20 for KS2. A school day counts as 2 marks of attendance.
• Morning registration ends at 8:50am if a pupil arrives after this time he/she should be accompanied by the parent to the desk in the main reception. Any pupil arriving after 9.30am will become an unauthorised absence and marked as an absentee for the whole of the morning session.
• It is essential that children arriving and leaving school with a parent/guardian outside the normal school hours are signed in or out from the office. The signing in/out register in the office is used in the case of an emergency or a fire drill.
• Please note the school day ends at 3.20pm for all children. Please be prompt when collecting your children from school.
• The Education Welfare Officer will be informed of persistent latecomers.

Illness and Medical Appointments
Every effort should be made to arrange medical appointments outside of school hours. However, we are aware that appointments during school time are sometimes unavoidable. If it is necessary for a child to be out of school for this reason, the child should be returned to school directly after the appointment.

Following an episode of vomiting or diarrhoea, pupils are requested to remain away from school for a period of 48 hrs. This is in line with guidance from the Health Protection Agency for schools and childcare settings and helps to reduce the spread of infection between pupils.

Absence
Parents/carers are requested to telephone on the first day of absence before 9.15am on 01732882405 as early as possible. You can also send a message via email to the school office school@ightham.kent.sch.uk 

The schools attendance officer will endeavour to contact the parent/carer if no message has been received regarding the reason for the pupil absence.

Holidays
Leave of absence for a child to accompany parents on holiday during a school term is not allowed (exceptional circumstances permitting) unless the approval of the Head Teacher is obtained beforehand.  Parents should write to the Head requesting an authorised absence and stating why it is needed during term time.

Leave of absence requests:

All requests for a 'Leave of Absence' from school that involves missing part, or all, of the school day, must be authorised in advance by the Head Teacher. You are requested to give a minimum of two weeks' notice wherever possible.

Leave of absence includes, but is not limited to: medical/dental appointments, holidays, requests to leave school early.

We encourage medical/dental appointments to be booked out of school hours wherever possible. We are now required to have evidence of medical appointments before we approve your leave of absence - please send your appointment letters/or a screenshot of confirmation of your appointment to Mrs Fisher - sfisher@ightham.kent.sch.uk 

If you are asking for a leave of absence for a wedding, please provide evidence of the wedding date and your child's relationship with the wedding party.

Leave in term time will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.

Please note that it is for schools to determine whether or not a leave of absence is authorised and the Head Teacher's decision is final.

To request a leave of absence, please fill in the form found here: https://forms.office.com/r/02EDAVF6Wq