If your child is going to be absent from school due to illness, please call the school office on 01937 584359 and press option 1 to leave a message on the absence line. Please include your child’s name, class and reason for absence in your message. Messages need to be made before 8:45am on the day of your child’s absence, thank you.

Additionally, if your child will be late or being collected early in school for any reason e.g. for a medical appointment please inform the office prior to the absence, we will also require your child’s meal choice if they are on school dinners to inform the kitchen early enough.

Attendance is monitored on a regular basis in school, to inform all parents of their child attendance letters are send out half termly. We send out attendance monitoring letters for children that are under 90% attendance (therefore deemed as persistently absent) and also those that are under 93% to keep parents/carers informed of their child's attendance. 

Under the regulations given to us by the DfE, Deighton Gates Primary School has to follow very strict guidelines if children fail to attend school on a regular basis. As a school we have to look at absence rates regularly and act upon any families whose absence is falling under 90%. The parents of children who regularly miss school – who are seen as persistent absentees - can then be subject to a fixed penalty fine of £120 per child from the local authority. If you would like to discuss your child’s attendance or require support to improve your child’s attendance, please contact Mrs Evans (learning mentor) or Mrs Hawes (Headteacher) through the school office.