Attendance & Punctuality

Reporting your child's absence

There may be times when your child has to miss school because he or she is ill. Please notify us of this on the first day (and every subsequent day) of absence by 9am.

If there are patterns of sickness, we work with your child, you and your health professionals to try and resolve these issues.

If your child is ill or absent for any other reason, contact the school on the first day of absence:

Contact details:

Secondary and Sixth Form absences:

Telephone: 01303 842400 Option 3

Email: tfsattendance@turnerschools.com

MCAS App: use the messaging facility

Attendance at TFS

At TFS, we understand how important it is for our pupils to attend school every day. This will ensure that they do not miss out on any valuable learning time. Statistics on attendance clearly and consistently highlight the impact of missed learning on pupils’ success. Please support us to ensure that your son or daughter is in school every day.

We will use the Turner School Attendance Strategy to ensure that pupils also understand the importance of high levels of attendance. Good attendance will also be promoted through inter- house competition for the Attendance Cup. Additionally, excellent attendance is celebrated through our regular ‘Attendance Hero’ celebration assemblies, certificates, competitions and achievement points.

Where attendance is below 95% we monitor and inform parents via a letter. We offer support to parents and pupils to improve their attendance. We also seek advice where necessary from the School Liaison Officer (SLO) via the Local Authority. Frequent unexplained absences can result in fixed penalty notices from the SLO.

When a pupil is absent from TFS with no advance notice, for example: 

Because of illness, parents/ carers must telephone TFS that same morning, and each subsequent morning, to inform us of the reason for absence before 9am. To report an absence, please dial the main TFS telephone number, (01303 842400) and select option 3. If leaving a message on the answering service, please state your child’s name, year group and the reason for their absence. If no explanation for the absence is received it will be recorded as unauthorised.

Alternatively, let us know by sending an email to tfsattendance@turnerschools.com.

Please note that only emergency appointments for dentists, opticians, and doctors should be during school hours. Proof of the medical appointment must also be provided. Routine appointments must be made out of school hours.

Absence is monitored very carefully at TFS. Every day missed is a learning opportunity wasted.

Leave of Absence

The Government states that a pupil may be taken out of TFS during term time for exceptional circumstances only, and never for five or more school days.

If exceptional circumstances occur, a letter to request permission must be submitted to the Head of School; this must be done, where possible, one month in advance.

Please note: Permission will be granted only in exceptional circumstances.

When your child can miss school

You can only allow your child to miss school if either:

Term Time Leave

You have to get permission from the head teacher if you want to take your child out of school during term time.

You can only do this if:

It’s up to the head teacher how many days your child can be away from school if leave is granted.

Religious Leave of Absence

The TFS community does grant the statutory leave of absence  in order that pupils can observe important religious festivals, these will be assessed on an individual basis. Requests for such leave of absence are obtainable by writing to the Head of School in the same way as above.

Punctuality

Where a lateness is known, parents should inform the school. 

Parents should leave a clear message stating the child’s name, year group and House Team, via the school phone or send an email to tfsadmin@turnerschools.com.

Pupils arriving to school between 8.45 and 9.15

Frequency