Newsletters

News from Mr Grady

Hello everyone.

Welcome back to Rugby High School for the Spring Term and welcome to the start of the ‘twenties’!

As I write this we are 8 days into the new year and new decade, and so far, I’ve managed to maintain that hopeful New Year feeling.  I don’t know how much longer it may last – I suspect as long as the leftover Christmas cake does in the cupboard…

It’s a funny time of year isn’t it?  The frosty mornings and chilly air that in December seemed so festive now start to feel a bit miserable; those lovely atmospheric cool fogs of early evening now start to pall, and, there is no longer any excuse to nibble away at a piece of cheese at any hour of the day.  The festive period and any reminders of it are over.

Except – I wonder if you have this experience to look forward to? 

At some point in the next month (although in some years it has been as late as March) I will discover somewhere in my house, a lonely Christmas decoration or Christmas themed item.  It could be a bauble that has dropped behind the sofa; a little pool of glitter from a decoration that the hoover didn’t quite find; a Christmas card that I placed in a room that I haven’t been in for a while; a pine needle lurking in the carpet ready to lance an unsuspecting toe – frankly, it could be anything, as every year despite what I think are vigilant searches for every remaining Christmassy item, I will always find something. 

And however much I am feeling the effects of the winter continuing, it will give me a little smile and that spark of the jolliness I felt at the end of the previous year making me reflect warmly on 2019.

The new year can send us into a fit of planning “new” things:  New leaves to be turned over and new resolutions to make – a sense of leaving everything about 2019 behind and hitting 2020 with something entirely different – for some this might be exactly what you wanted – maybe 2019 wasn’t always a great year, but I’m willing to bet that if you have some time to reflect on the year there’ll be something you’re pleased with, something you’re proud of, and when you do think about it, just like you rediscover the little thrill of Christmas in that piece of forgotten tinsel, I hope the past successes and joys of 2019 give you continued pleasure and energy to embrace the newness of 2020!

With best wishes,

Mr Grady

LEAVE OF ABSENCE DURING TERM TIME

UPDATED INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

The Supreme Court recently reached a decision in the case of Platt v Isle of Wight Council which has clarified the law on unauthorised leave, including holidays, during term time. The parents of children of compulsory school age are required to ensure that they attend school on a regular basis. The Supreme Court has made clear that attending school ‘regularly’ means that the children must attend school on every day that they are required to do so. As such, the parents of any child who is absent from school without authorisation for any length of time are likely to be considered as committing an offence under s444 of the Education Act 1996.

Head Teachers retain the ability to authorise leave in accordance with the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006. When considering such requests for a leave of absence, the school are obliged to act within the law. Head Teachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application. If the leave is granted, head teachers are able to determine the number of school days a child can be absent for.

It is for the Head Teacher to decide what is ‘exceptional’ and it is at their discretion if the circumstances warrant the leave to be granted. The school can only consider Leave of Absence requests which are made by the ‘resident’ parent.

Each application for a leave of absence will be considered on a case by case basis and on its own merits.

Where applications for leave of absence are made in advance and refused, the child will be required to be in school on the dates set out in the application. If the child is absent during that period, it will be recorded as an unauthorised absence, which may result in legal action being taken against the parent(s), by way of a Fixed Penalty Notice.

Failure to make an application for leave in advance can also result in a Fixed Penalty Notice being issued to the parent(s).

All matters of unauthorised absence relating to a Leave of Absence will be referred to the Warwickshire Attendance Service, part of Warwickshire County Council

It is important to note, Fixed Penalty Notices are issued to each parent of each absent child, (for example 2 children and 2 parents, means each parent will receive 2 invoices in the amount of £120 each, totalling £240 for both children, this is reduced to £60 per child if paid within 21 days).

Where a Fixed Penalty Notice is not paid within the required timeframe as set out on the notice, the matter will be referred to Warwickshire County Council’s Legal Services to consider instigating criminal proceedings under S444 Education Act 1996.

Fixed Penalty Notices are issued in accordance with Warwickshire County Council’s Code of Conduct for Penalty Notices.

Your child’s progress academically as well as socially is our shared priority

Warwickshire Secondary School pupils recorded 6,651 half day sessions of absence due to holiday in the Autumn/Spring term during academic year 2018/19. This is an increase of 602 on the previous year.

Student Finance talk for Parents

On Thursday 23 January at 6.00pm in the hall there will be a speaker from Aston University to talk about student finance.  The talk is aimed at the parents of Year 13 students intending to go to University in 2020.