Definitions of Attendance & Absence

The following definitions are taken from The Scottish Government publication “Included, Engaged and Involved, published in December 2007:

Attendance is defined as participation in a programme of educational activities arranged and agreed by the school.  In addition to actual attendance within the school premises, this encompasses a range of other activities within the category of attendance (out of school but marked present), such as:

• Learning outwith the school provided by a college, off-site unit or other learning provider while still on the roll of the school
• Educational visits, day and residential visits to outdoor centres
• Interviews and visits relating to further and higher education or career events
• Debates, sports, musical or drama activities in conjunction with the school
• Study leave for pupils participating in national exams, if arranged by the school during the period of the national examination timetable
• Activities in connection with psychological services, learning or behaviour support
• Receiving tuition via hospital or outreach teaching services
• Work experience

Authorised Absence

• Illness where no learning provision is made
• Medical and dental appointments
• Meetings prior to, and in, court
• Attendance at, or in connection with, a Children’s Hearing or Care Review, or appointment with another service provider, e.g. social worker
• Religious observance
• Bereavement
• Weddings or funerals of those close to the family
• Arranged absence in relation to children in Gypsy/Traveller families
• Participation in non-school debates, sports, musical or drama activities agreed by the school
• Failure of school or service transport due to bad weather, breakdown, etc
• Exceptional domestic circumstances (short-term)
• Only those family holidays agreed by the school to be taken in exceptional circumstance
• Period of exclusion

Unauthorised Absence

• Most family holidays, unless there are exceptional circumstances
• Parent-condoned absence where the school does not agree there is a satisfactory reason for absence
• Truancy, with or without the knowledge of the parent
• All other unexplained absence is recorded as unauthorised absence unless a satisfactory explanation is subsequently provided
• Longer-term exceptional domestic carer circumstances where support has been provided
• During disputes, such as relating to the return of a pupil after an exclusion