Skip to content ↓
Westfield Secondary School

Attendance

What to do if your child is ill

If a child is ill and unable to attend school, it is important that you let us know before 8.30am on the morning of the absence, by one of the following methods:

Please let us know the following information:

  • Student’s name.
  • Student's year group.
  • Reason for absence.

 

Attendance rates

100% attendance is achievable from every child, and to be at the Westfield Student Standard students are expected to have an attendance of 96% or above.

Did you know that:

  • Under 90% attendance a child is classed as a Persistent Absentee and will have a huge impact on a child’s learning. Only 14% of students with an attendance of 90% or below will gain five 9-5 grades.
  • 10 minutes late every day will mean that a child loses 33 hours of learning a year.

Westfield School believes that regular school attendance is the key to enabling students to maximise the educational opportunities available to them and become resilient, confident and competent adults who are able to realise their full potential and make a positive contribution to their community.

Westfield values all students and we will work with families to identify the reasons for unsatisfactory attendance and try to resolve any difficulties.

Our Attendance Policy should not be viewed in isolation; it is a strand that runs through all aspects of school improvement, supported by our policies on safeguarding, bullying, behaviour and DSEN.

For any information regarding attendance please contact the attendance team on 0114 2485221.

 

requesting Term time absences

The Department for Education (DfE) makes it very clear that headteachers cannot authorise any leave of absence, including term-time holidays, unless there are exceptional circumstances. Any absence without this agreement will be classed as unauthorised and would go down on the student’s records.

Unauthorised absences of five or more consecutive days will lead to the issuing of a fixed penalty notice regardless of the student’s previous attendance record and could even lead to further prosecution.

If authorised, the Headteacher is also able to set a time limit on the leave of absence. Exceptional circumstances are described as unique or one-off events. They might include family emergencies, a sudden change in circumstances or a once-in-a lifetime opportunity. Visits from family members or opportunities for discounted holidays will not constitute as exceptional circumstances. Also, in taking any decision to authorise absence a headteacher will also take other factors into account such as a student’s attendance record.

This policy is in line with Sheffield City Council guidelines and is common across the Westfield Family of Schools. 

You can download the form to request a term time absence from this page. However, please be aware that the regulations mean that these can only be authorised in extreme circumstances

You can find our full Attendance Policy on our policies page.

You can read the DfE guidance for parents here.

  1. Absence - Form

Cookie Policy