Attendance

We recognise that positive behaviour and good attendance are essential for students to get the most out of their school experience, including their attainment, wellbeing and wider life chances.  

It is the legal responsibility of every parent to make sure their child receives that education, either by attendance at a school, or by education otherwise than at a school. 

KES would like all its students to aim for 100% attendance during each academic year; however, there will be occasions when a child is too unwell to come to school.

All students are expected to achieve a minimum of 95% and above over the course of the academic year to ensure the best possible outcomes for our students as demonstrated below.

In accordance with national legislation regarding school attendance (August 2024), KES offers a supportive and stepped approach around school attendance as shown below. Please note that penalty notices for term time holidays and irregular attendance have changed. Full details can be found in our Attendance Policy.

Unauthorised absence from school

Unauthorised absences are those which the school does not consider reasonable and for which no ‘leave’ has been granted. This type of absence can lead to the school referring to the Local Authority for penalty notices and/or legal proceedings.  

It is a rule of this school that a leave of absence shall not be granted in term time unless there are reasons considered to be exceptional by the headteacher, irrespective of the child’s overall attendance.   

Only the Headteacher or his/her designate (not the local authority) may authorise such a request and all applications for a leave of absence must be made in writing, in advance, on the prescribed form provided by the school. 

Please contact the school attendance team via attendanceofficer@kes.essex.sch.uk to request this form. 

Unauthorised absence includes:  

• parents/carers keeping children off school unnecessarily e.g. because they had a late-night 
• parents/carers keeping children off school for minor ailments such as cold, headache and period pain. The school follows the NHS guidance surrounding minor ailments  
• absences which have never been properly explained; 
• children who arrive at school after the close of registration (8.40am) are marked using a ‘U’. This indicates that they are in school for safeguarding purposes, however, is counted as an absence for the session; 
• shopping trips; 
• looking after other children or children accompanying siblings or parents to medical appointments; 
• their own or family birthdays; 
• holidays taken during term time, not deemed ‘for exceptional purposes’ by the headteacher, including any arranged by other family members or friends; 
• day trips;  
• other leave of absence in term time which has not been agreed. 

Medical appointments

The school day allows for most medical appointments to be made after 2.30pm, thus avoiding the need to miss school. This is particularly so for doctor’s appointments and we do not expect such appointments to be made during the school day. Where hospital appointments occur during the school day, it is expected that the minimum time possible away from school will be taken. We do not expect children to miss an entire day’s school for a local appointment.

To enable the school to authorise absences due to medical appointments (hospital, doctor, dentist, orthodontist or physiotherapist) parents/carers must provide evidence in the form of an appointment card or letter which should be sent to attendanceofficer@kes.essex.sch.uk

Arriving to school on time

Lateness is not acceptable and can be counted as unauthorised absence if students arrive after registration closes at 8.40am.

Any student who arrives late must sign in at the main reception and providing an explanation for this lateness when they sign in. However, it is better for students to be late than not be in school at all.

Reporting absence

The school’s absence reporting procedure is as follows:

Parents/carers must send a message via the School Gateway on the first day of absence before 8.00am, and on all subsequent days giving a reason for the absence.

Please note that we follow NHS guidelines regarding illness and absence, so absence due to minor ailments (cold, headache, cough, period pain) are unlikely to be authorised.

When a student is absent from school and no message is received from home, the school will automatically send a truancy text message ascertain the reason for the child’s absence.

Our Senior Attendance Champion, the senior leader responsible for the strategic approach to attendance in our school, is Mrs Kentish, Assistant Headteacher. 

Students and parents should contact our Senior Attendance Officer, Mrs Snares, about attendance on a day-to-day basis via email to: attendanceofficer@kes.essex.sch.uk, or by calling 01702 545771, extension 3209.