Be Kind to Yourself by maintaining regular school attendance over the course of the academic year.  At Desford Community Primary School, we are committed to promoting good attendance as part of our dedication to ensuring quality education provision that gives our pupils the best start in life.  Attendance is a key whole school improvement issue: it has a direct relationship with the development, attainment and progress of individuals and groups of pupils and the standards thereby achieved by the school.

Children's Attendance and Welfare Service (CAWS) Schools are required by law to monitor pupil attendance and punctuality.  Where attendance or punctuality falls below 96% (8 school days per year), we will work with families to help with improving attendance.  Where this is not successful, CAWS will be commissioned by the school to address any outstanding attendance welfare concerns.  Further information about this service is attached below.

ALL leave of absence requests will be unauthorised unless the circumstances are exceptional.  The Education Regulations 2013 state that it is an offence for a Local Authority maintained school to authorise a leave of absence to a pupil except where an application has been made in advance and the School considers that there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application (e.g. illness and medical/dental appointments, religious observance and Traveller pupils travelling for occupational purposes).

To apply for an Exceptional Leave of Absence, please complete the form below and return it to the school office, or ask for a paper copy when you are in school.