General Information
A timetable of the average school day can be downloaded from the bottom of this page.
Absence During Term Time
Regular attendance at school is essential to support children's learning, wellbeing and achievement.
Parents should always apply to the Headteacher for any request for leave during term time by completing a Leave of Absence Request Form, available from the school office. Leave of absence will only be authorised in exceptional circumstances. Family holidays and leisure activities will not normally be considered exceptional circumstances.
Under the national framework for Penalty Notices, introduced from August 2024, schools must consider a Penalty Notice when a child has accrued 10 sessions (equivalent to five school days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling 10-school-week period. These sessions do not need to be consecutive and may include unauthorised term-time leave.
Parents should be aware that:
- The first Penalty Notice is £160 per parent, per child, reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days.
- A second Penalty Notice issued to the same parent for the same child within a three-year period will be charged at £160, with no reduction available.
- A third offence within a three-year period is likely to result in alternative legal action rather than a further Penalty Notice.
Each request for leave in term time will be considered individually. If a request is not authorised and the absence occurs, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised. Parents will be informed of the school's decision in writing.
The school is committed to working in partnership with families to promote excellent 100% attendance. If you have concerns regarding your child's attendance, please contact the school office to discuss how we can support you.
This version is more suitable for a primary school website, easier for parents to read, and remains aligned with current DfE and Telford & Wrekin guidance.
‘Parents should always apply to the Headteacher for any request for leave in term time by completing a request form available from school. (DfE guidance states schools should not authorise leave retrospectively so any leave in term time taken without a request being submitted will be unauthorised absence)’.
In developing and publishing the new national framework, the Government has renewed appeals to parents not to take their children out of school during term time. The Governors and Headteacher of this school support this and students will only be given permission to take leave in term time if there are exceptional circumstances. The DfE Guidance Working Together to Improve School Attendance (Aug 2024) states that: Generally, the DfE does not consider the need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation to be an exceptional circumstance. (Paragraph 38)
Each application for leave in term time will be considered and if it is agreed and authorised the Headteacher will determine the duration of any leave. However, if the application is not agreed and the absence occurs the dates will be unauthorised. Parents will be notified of any decision in writing. This notification may be hand delivered directly to the parent or posted to the parents’ home address.
As a school, we are asked to inform you that in line with Telford and Wrekin Council Policy, if your child is absent for 10 school sessions within a 10 week rolling period and that absence is unauthorised, you may be subject to a Penalty Notice fine, criteria is as detailed above.
Parent View
Parent View gives you the chance to tell Ofsted what you think about St. Matthew’s C of E (Aided) Primary School and Nursery Centre. It asks for your opinion on 12 aspects of the school from the quality of teaching, to dealing with bullying and poor behaviour. The information you provide is used when Ofsted decide when to inspect a school. Parents can see what others have said and view the results for any school in England. A link to the website can be found on the front page of our website.
Charging and Remissions
The school aims to provide a broad and enriching curriculum for all pupils. Information regarding any charges that may apply for school activities, educational visits, music tuition or other services, together with details of any remissions available, can be found in our Charging and Remissions Policy. A full copy of the policy can be downloaded from the policies section of the website. If you require any further information, please contact the school office.
Complaints procedure