Rutlish School

Attendance & Punctuality

Research shows there is a direct link between attendance and attainment: every day missed is associated with a lower chance of achieving 5 or more good GCSEs. Full attendance is an expectation of all students and ensuring regular attendance is a parent or carer's legal responsibility. The school supports the Local Authority's policy on fixed penalties for absence and regular non-attenders will be referred to the Education Welfare Service.

The School Attendance (Pupil Regulations) (England) Regulations 2024 state that headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are ‘exceptional circumstances’. Headteachers should determine the number of school days a child can be away from school if the leave is granted.

With regard to the regulation Rutlish procedures are as follows:

• Parent/Carers must request leave for exceptional circumstances as far in advance as is possible.
• The request should be made using the Leave of Absence form (see bottom of this page).
• The completed form must include the reason for the leave of absence. This may include any extenuating or compassionate reasons, including evidence of circumstances such as a medical certificate or letter from employers.
• On receipt of an application for leave of absence (on the appropriate form) together with any supporting documentation, consideration will be given to the circumstance and a decision will be made as soon as is possible.

Absence due to Religious Observance

We welcome the multi-faith nature of our school and recognise that for some families important religious festivals may fall outside the school holidays. Government guidance says a student can be absent ‘on a day exclusively set aside for religious observance by the religious body to which the parent belongs.’

Parents/carers should complete a Leave of Absence Request form (see below) for all religious observances.

Late Arrivals

Registration is at 8.30am prompt until 8.50am. Any student arriving after 8.50am must sign in at the Manor House reception using our online entry system.

Please report any lateness or appointments via the Rutlish App, attaching any supporting documentation.

Late arrivals due to doctors’ appointments etc. should be accompanied by a note from home which can be written in the student planner, if not advised on the App already. If there is no genuine reason for a student's lateness sanctions may be applied.

Absence

All absences from school are detrimental to a student’s learning and progress. Some absences, due to factors such as illness are unavoidable and are, following receipt of a letter from parents or medical evidence, recorded as authorised. If no note is received, the absence is recorded as unauthorised.

All absences, lateness and appointments should be reported to the school via the Rutlish App.  Please follow this link to download the App  Rutlish School - Communication

Students will not be allowed to leave school without prior notification and must sign out using the online entry system in the Manor House.

On the first and each subsequent day of absence, parents should report the absence using the REPORT ABSENCE button on their child's profile in the App, attaching any supporting documentation.

Registration is at 8.30am prompt until 8.50am. Any student arriving after 8.50am must sign in at the Manor House reception using our online entry system.

Parents are informed via the Rutlish App if their child has not registered in school which will require a response with a reason for their absence. 

Leave of Absence Request Form