At Tickhill St Mary’s, we believe that good attendance and being on time are really important for your child’s learning and wellbeing. When children come to school regularly and on time, they get the most out of their education and feel part of our school community.

We follow the Department for Education (DfE) guidelines to help us keep attendance high and support families when children are unwell or face other challenges.

Here’s what you need to know:

• If your child is unable to attend school due to illness, please let us know on the first day they are off. We understand that sometimes children get sick, and you don’t usually need to provide medical evidence unless we have a genuine reason to ask for it.

• If your child has a long-term illness or health needs, we will work with you and the local authority to make sure they get the right support and education, whether that’s in school or through alternative arrangements.

• If your child is suspended or excluded, the school will arrange alternative education from the sixth day of absence to make sure their learning continues.

• We want to make it as easy as possible for families to get their children to school on time every day. If you ever have any concerns or need support with attendance or punctuality, please get in touch with us – we’re here to help.

Diarrhoea and Vomiting Exclusion

According to the Health Protection Agency’s document, “Guidelines for the Control of Infection and Communicable Disease in School and Early Years Settings”, the recommended guidance is as follows:

Diarrhoea and/or vomiting are common symptoms caused by various germs, including viruses, parasites, and bacteria. These infections can spread easily from person to person, especially among children, often through unwashed hands. Therefore, any child or staff member experiencing diarrhoea and/or vomiting should remain away from school or early years settings until they have been symptom-free for at least 48 hours (the ‘48-hour rule’) and feel well. Maintaining strict personal hygiene during illness is crucial.

If your child becomes sick at school, we will contact you or your emergency contact to collect them promptly. Your child should then remain at home and not return to school for 48 hours following the last episode of vomiting or diarrhoea.

We understand this may cause inconvenience and that you may feel your child is well enough to return sooner. However, this policy is applied consistently to minimise the risk of infection spreading within the school community. For example, if your child vomits at lunchtime on a Tuesday, they should not return to school until after lunch on Thursday, provided no further symptoms occur.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. For more information on infection control, please visit the Public Health England website.

Leave of Absence

At Tickhill St Mary’s, we are committed to ensuring that all children receive the best possible education. To support this, the school is unable to authorise any holidays or absences during term time except in very exceptional circumstances.

If you need to request a leave of absence for your child, please complete the leave of absence form below and submit it to the school office. We kindly ask that you also speak directly with Mrs Kendrew-Jones, our Headteacher, to discuss the request. This helps us maintain open and honest communication between the school and families.

Please be aware that if your child accumulates 10 sessions (a session is either a morning or an afternoon) of unauthorised absence within a 10-week period, the local authority may issue a fixed penalty notice.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us to support your child’s learning and attendance.