Attendance

Attendance Policy

At Kirkby High School, it is our mission to maximise the potential of all students. This begins with ensuring students attend school every day. There is a direct link between being absent from school and achieving positive outcomes.

When students are absent from school, they will:

  • Miss learning, leading to gaps in their knowledge
  • Miss out on opportunities provided in school
  • Perform below their potential in exams and assessments
  • Miss out on socialising with friends

See below the impact of missing school

How to contact the attendance team

If your child is absent, you must contact school as soon as possible on the first day of absence to inform school of the reason.

Telephone: 0151 4778710

Ext Year 7 – 3033

Ext Year 8 – 3006

Ext Year 9 – 3119

Ext Year 10 – 3116

Ext Year 11 - 3005

Email: admin@kirkbyhighschool.net

Meet the Team

We have a dedicated team who build strong relationships with families, understand barriers to attending school and work with families to remove these barriers. The team will monitor attendance data and when necessary, contact parents/carers to discuss any concerns.

Mrs R. Butler – Assistant Headteacher

Mrs G. Harrison – Attendance Manager

Mrs R. Perkins – Attendance Officer

Miss J. Courtney Ward – Attendance Mentor for Years 7 and 11

Miss C. Ginley – Attendance Mentor for Year 7s and 10

Miss V. Morgan – Attendance Mentor for Year 7s and 9

Miss M. Horabin – Attendance Mentor for Year 7s and 8

Frequently Asked Questions

What will school do if my child is absent?
If your child is absent:
  • We will contact you on the first day of absence if we have not heard from you
  • We may arrange for a home visit from one of our attendance mentors
  • We may invite you into school and conduct an attendance meeting to work collaboratively to reduce your child’s absence
What will happen if my child arrives late to school?
It is very important that students arrive at school on time every day. If they are late to school, they miss important instructions at the start of a lesson as well as valuable learning time. You can see from the information below, the impact being late to school has on learning. Daily Process
  • All students should arrive to school by 8:40am
  • Students who arrive late after 8:40am will have their name recorded by a member of the attendance team. They will be issued with a 10-minute break detention. Failure to attend the detention will result in a 30-minute detention after school
  • The school register closes at 9:10am and any students who arrive after the register has closed will receive an unauthorised absence for the morning session (U code - Late after the close of the register)
  • Parents/Carers will be contacted by the attendance team to discuss any patterns of late arrival to school. Persistently arriving after the register has closed may result in a Penalty Notice fine
Learning the importance of punctuality is a life skill which all students will need for whatever path they choose post 16. Please continue to work with us to prepare your child for life after Kirkby High School and ensure they attend school every day, on time. Don’t Be Late, Be Here By 8:38
How can I make a leave of absence request?

In line with the current Government legislation and the school attendance policy, parents/carers do not have the right to take children out of school during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. No holidays will be authorised in term time unless it is deemed as exceptional circumstances by the Headteacher.

On the rare occasion circumstances are deemed exceptional by the Headteacher, the duration your child is permitted to be away from school may only be determined by the Headteacher.

All applications for leave must be made at least three weeks in advance. If a leave of absence is not applied for in advance, it will not be granted. When making the decision, the Headteacher will consider the individual circumstances of each application, including any previous pattern of leave, both current and historical attendance and the length of leave requested. By law you must ask for permission for your child to miss school.

Should you remove your child from school without permission you may receive a Penalty Notice fine, currently £160, and your child will incur unauthorised absences on their school record.

Leave of Absence Request Form

When would I receive a Penalty Notice Fine?

From the 19th of August 2024, the Government have standardised the process for penalty notices. All local authorities must follow the national requirements

  • Penalty notices for unauthorised absence from school are £160 per child, per parent. The amount will be reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days
  • A parent may be issued with a penalty notice if their child’s absence is unauthorised, and they miss 10 sessions within a rolling period of 10 weeks. Ten sessions are usually the same as 5 school days. The 10 weeks may span different terms or school years. For example, two unauthorised absences in the summer term and eight unauthorised absences in the autumn term
  • The changes apply to any unauthorised absence taken from the start of the new academic year
  • If a second penalty notice is issued to the same parent for the same child within a rolling 3-year period, the penalty notice will be charged at £160. There is no option for this second offence to be reduced to £80
  • The Government has set a national limit of two penalty notices that can be issued to a parent for the same child within a rolling 3-year period
  • If the national limit of two penalty notices has been met, or exceeded, the local authority must consider the use of another tool to improve attendance. For example, prosecution or another attendance legal intervention. The local penalty notice code of conduct will be published on Knowsley MBC Council’s website and has been drawn up in consultation with headteachers and the Merseyside Police Force
Where can I access further support?