What if my child cannot attend school?

If your child is unable to attend school for any reason please phone the school office on 020 8864 8081 to let us know before 9.30am.  There is a dedicated 'absence' voicemail line where you can leave a message.  Please give your child’s name, class and the reason for his/her absence. If you do not contact us, we will phone you to enquire about your child’s absence.

If you know in advance that your child is going to be absent (e.g. hospital appointment) please let us know as soon as possible. Please ensure that all hospital and doctors appointments are made after school if possible, as taking your child out of school time can be very disruptive for the child.  You may be asked to put this in writing, especially if the absence is for more than a day.  If your child is attending an exam or interview their absence must be authorised by the school.  A form will need to be completed to explain where your child is going and the collection and return time to school.

What if I need to pick up my child early?  What if I need someone else to collect my child?

If you need to pick your child up earlier than normal please let the office staff know in advance and they will pass the message to your child’s class teacher. When you come to collect your child you must come to the school office to sign him/her out and the staff there will contact his/her class.  We would ask that you try to avoid taking your child out of school whenever possible - most appointments can be arranged outside school hours.

When your child starts school you have the opportunity to grant other adults permission to collect your child from school and this is recorded with the teacher.  If your child needs to be collected by another adult, please phone the office so that a message can be passed to the class teacher. Please ensure this is done before 3pm - your child will not be released to an unknown adult.

Can I take my child for a holiday during term time?

We would like to advise you that schools have received clear instructions from the Government stating the following:

‘Amendments have been made to the 2006 regulations removing references to family holidays and extended leave as well as the statutory threshold of ten school days. The amendments made clear that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time, unless there are exceptional circumstances. These amendments come into force on 1st September 2013’.

This means that we are NOT able to authorise any term time absence unless it is an exceptional circumstance. At Newton Farm we work very hard to help your child learn and achieve well. To do this, we need you to help us in many ways. The most important way to help and support your child is to ensure that he or she attends school and is punctual.  If an exceptional circumstance arises you need to provide details in writing to the Headteacher and a follow-up meeting will be arranged.  Proof of the exceptional circumstance is required, along with copies of any travel documents.  Any unauthorised leave is recorded, will appear on school reports and is automatically included on transfer records when a child leaves this school.  For persistent unauthorised absences, parents could face a penalty fine.