Absence

Report your Childs Absence

To report your child's absence please either telephone the school 01255 860210 or click this link parentpost@engaines.essex.sch.uk Please ensure that you are entering your child’s information in the email.

You must report your child's absence, to the school office, on each day of illness before 9am. If absence is for a medical appointment, proof must be shown. This can be sent in via email (see link above) or via school dojo. 

Sickness "48 hour rule"

From time to time children are sick (vomit) either at home or at school. Unfortunately it is not possible to distinguish between the causes, and therefore it is essential that the same rule of exclusion applies in all cases of vomiting or diarrhoea.

In the Health Protection Agency document, “Guidelines for the Control of Infection and Communicable Disease in School and Early Years Settings”, the guidance is:

Diarrhoea and Vomiting exclusion:

Diarrhoea and/or vomiting commonly affects children and staff and can be caused by a number of different germs, including viruses, parasites and bacteria. Infections can be easily spread from person to person (by unwashed hands), especially in children. In general, it is recommended that any staff member or child with diarrhoea and/or vomiting symptoms must stay away or be excluded from the school or early years setting until they have been free of symptoms for 48 hours (the ‘48 hour rule’) and feel well. Personal hygiene whilst ill must be very strict.

If your child is sick at school, we will ask you or your emergency contact to take your child home. They should not return for 48 hours. We appreciate that this is inconvenient in many cases, and you may not believe your child is ill, but you will appreciate that we do this in all cases and it should reduce the risk of infection for all children in school.  As an example, if your child is sick at lunchtime on a Tuesday, they should not return to school until after lunch on Thursday, provided there have not been any further episodes of vomiting.

Is my child too ill for school?

The link below will take you to the NHS website page which gives lots of information and advice on common children’s illness

Is my child too ill for school?

Request for Leave of Absence

Taking your child/ children out of school during term time could be detrimental to their educational progress. THERE IS NO ENTITLEMENT to parents/ carers to take a child out of school during term time, however you may apply to the school for leave of absence in exceptional circumstances. 

If you would like to apply for time out of school during term time, please complete a Leave of Absence. This form can be accessed by the link below or from the school office.

Leave of Absence Request

To see a copy of the guidance from Essex County Council please click on the link below.

Holidays during Term Time