Beaminster School
Beaminster School, Newtown, Beaminster DT8 3EP
Tel: 01308 862633
Office hours 8.30am-4.30pm (4pm Friday)
School hours 8.45am-3.30pm
Absence Line (24hrs): 01308 861917
Email: office@beaminster.dorset.sch.uk
Headteacher: Mr K Hales
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Mr D Withers
Click HERE to see our Safeguarding Leads and for further Safeguarding information
SENCo: Mrs S Dinsmore (office@beaminster.dorset.sch.uk)
Office Manager: Mrs N Chalkley
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Attendance,
Health and Medical Information
Attendance Regulations
Attendance at school is very important because any time away from school can have a significant impact on a student’s educational attainment, success in later life and their longer term health and well being. The Government changed the law with regard to granting term time leave of absence which states:
Schools may NOT grant ANY leave of absence during term time unless there are EXCEPTIONAL circumstances.
This replaces the 2006 regulation that allowed schools to grant up to 10 days leave of absence at their discretion. Dorset County Council supports all schools in ensuring the law is upheld. In law, parents and carers are committing an offence if they fail to ensure the regular and punctual attendance of their child at school.
Therefore, any unauthorised absence, such as taking holidays in term time, can result in the issuing of a Fixed Term Penalty Notice. Failure to pay a Fixed Term Penalty Notice may result in a criminal conviction and a fine in the magistrates court of up to £1000.
Please note that students should not miss a whole day of school for routine medical or dental appointments, which should be made outside of the school day wherever possible.
Students arriving late or leaving the site during the school day
We need to know where our students are at all times, e.g. should there be a fire alarm, so if a student arrives late into school they must sign in at Reception. Parents must ensure that the student has an explanatory note or that a parent has telephoned the school to explain the reason for lateness (Absence Line 01308 861917).
Students may, occasionally, need to leave the school premises during the day, for example, to attend medical or other such appointments. Parents should either telephone the school office, or write, in advance, to inform their child’s tutor of the date and time of any such appointments and when the child will need to leave the school site, and all students must sign out at Reception.
Appointments should be made at the beginning or end of the school day to minimise absence from school wherever possible, and students are expected to return to school promptly following appointments.
Health and Medical Conditions
Please make us aware of any medical condition that may affect a student’s attendance at or performance in school. This includes any special care or medication that may be required during school hours.
We ask parents of new students to fully complete the student registration form, which includes a medical section, and for parents to notify us of any changes as soon as possible.
Our welfare officer will deal with minor injuries or illnesses only, so parents should ensure that their child is well enough to attend school and take part in all activities before they leave home in the morning.
In the event of more serious injuries or illness parents may be contacted and the student may have to be sent home. Every effort is made to contact parents should specialist advice be necessary from local doctors or the hospital. It is therefore essential that you advise us of any change of emergency contacts as soon as possible.
Students are NOT required to remain at home for 48hrs following sickness.
As long as they are not infectious, is up to you, as parents, to decide when your child is fit enough to return to school after illness.