At The Crypt School we want to ensure that every student achieves their full potential. In order to do this, it is imperative that every student attends school on time, every day the school is open, unless the reason for absence is unavoidable.

Parents have a legal duty to ensure their children attend school regularly. Equally the school has a legal duty to publish its absence figures and its attendance policy to parents. School attendance data must also be made available to our Local Authority and the Department for Education. We are committed to meeting our obligations with regards to school attendance by:

• Promoting good attendance and reducing absence, including persistent absence
• Ensuring every student has access to full-time education to which they are entitled
• Acting early to address patterns of absence
• Promoting and supporting punctuality

The Crypt School - Attendance Policy

Absence - how to report

Unplanned absence such as illness, must be reported daily using the link below:

Attendance Officer: Mrs Claire Perkins (Years 7 to 11) and Mrs Eileen Price (Years 12 and 13)
Telephone: 01452 530291 or Sixth Form parents only can text 07808 253804
Email: [email protected]

GCC Attendance Leaflet - Information for Parents and Carers

Absence request - medical/non-medical

We ask that routine appointments are made outside of school hours but we understand emergency appointments may need to fall inside of school time. We also ask for as much notice as possible of medical appointments so please ensure you have filled in the relevant form below to advise school of an upcoming absence.

• Leave of absence for medical and non-medical requests should be submitted at least seven days before appointment or event. 
• All requests must be made prior to the leave being taken. 
• Leave cannot be authorised retrospectively.

Please complete the relevant absence request form below. If you have trouble with one of the online forms, please email to: [email protected]

Absence Request Form - Medical

Absence Request Form - Non-medical

Request of holiday during term time

Parents should be aware that the law does not grant parents an automatic right to take their child out of school during term time.  The Department for Education allows a Headteacher the discretion to consider authorising a leave of absence in term time only in “exceptional circumstances”.

You may consider that a holiday will be educational but your child will still miss out on the teaching and learning that their peers will receive whilst your child is away.  Children returning from a leave of absence during term time are also unprepared for the lessons which build on the teaching they have missed and arrangements need to be made for individual children to catch up on missed work.  Disruption to the continuity of teaching and learning is something we all have a responsibility to avoid.

If requesting a leave of absence you will need to complete the appropriate form below, setting out the reasons.  If the holiday is not considered to be an exceptional circumstance it will not be agreed.  If you nevertheless take your child out of school for the leave of absence this will be recorded as unauthorised leave.

In the case of an unauthorised leave of absence the Headteacher may request that the Local Authority issue a Fixed Penalty Notice without further warning to the parent.  Please note that such a penalty is issued to each parent for each child taken out of school.  A Penalty Notice is a fine of £60 if paid within the first 21 days which increases to £120 if paid between 21 and 28 days.  Thereafter, if the penalty remains unpaid this may lead to prosecution through the Magistrates’ Court.

• Leave of absence requests for holiday in exceptional circumstances should be returned to the school at least one month before the proposed start of the holiday. 
• All requests must be made prior to the leave being taken as leave cannot be authorised retrospectively.  You will be notified of the outcome of the decision either by email or letter.

Please complete the holiday request form below. If you are having trouble completing the form, please email: [email protected]

Absence Request Form - Holiday

We hope you will support our efforts to maintain excellent levels of attendance and attainment.