Parents of children of compulsory school age (i.e. the term following their 5^th birthday), have a legal responsibility to ensure that they attend school regularly and punctually.  There is a legal requirement also for the school to account for all absences, and a directive from central government to schools asking us not to authorise absences for holidays during term time. Therefore a child’s absence from school for a family holiday will be unauthorised.

If your child is absent, we need to know why so we ask you to telephone (020 8546 7181) email the school office (attendance@latchmereschool.org) before 9.10 am on the first day of absence, unless leave has been requested in advance.  If we do not hear from you we will contact you via our ParentPay messaging system to ask for the reason for absence.

The Department for Education is specific on the subject of absences, which are either authorised or unauthorised by the school. Reasons for authorised absence are:

• religious observance
• medical appointments (with verification, if necessary)
• any absence that is unavoidable can be authorised by the school

For an absence to be authorised, the school has to be satisfied with the parents’ explanation. Except for illness and medical / dental appointments, all absences need to be requested from the school. Children, who leave school for medical appointments and return later, need to be recorded at the office on exit and entry.  Please click below to see our absence request form:-

Absence Request Form

At the end of the year the total absences, authorised and unauthorised, will be shown on your child’s Record of Achievement.