Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions
If you require support for children unable to access education due to their health needs please refer to the London Borough of Sutton’s policy for Educating children with emotional, wellbeing and health related needs who cannot attend school by clicking here.
Absence and attendance codes
It is important that registers are coded correctly for all attendances and absences. Please click here for information about the codes from the DfE guidance Working together to improve school attendance (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Graduated Response
Sutton’s Attendance Graduated Response provides a multi-agency framework, that supports working together to encourage school attendance and tackle the barriers to attendance that may arise for a child or young person. The Graduate Response can be found here.
Penalty Notices
Fixed Penalty Notices for school absence can be requested by emailing attendance@cognus.org.uk
Before requesting a penalty notice, please ensure that you have read our Penalty Notice Code of Conduct and completed the correct documents for approval.
A request must contain these completed documents:
- Penalty Notice online request form
- School evidence of contact with the parents and agreements made e.g. emails, minutes. Letters sent home (which must include highlighting to parents the legal implications of unauthorised absences)
- The last 2 academic school years registers of attendance, evidencing the missed, unauthorised days and any patterns.
The parents will receive the following leaflet with any penalty notice or warning letter issued.
Child Employment
The Child Employment section of our website will give you further information about performance licences and work permits and how this should be balanced with their school attendance.
For questions or concerns regarding performance licence or authorising time away from school please refer to the section above or email childemployment@cognus.org.uk
Traveller Education Service
Cognus’ Traveller Education Service works with Gypsy Roma and Traveller children, young people and families in both Sutton and Merton to promote and support improved access to education.
We use a multi-agency approach to make sure education settings support those with Traveller ethnicity to access and fully engage with services available to them.
Additional guidance
- Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school (statutory DfE guidance)
- Sutton LSCP Protocols – key ones being the Sutton Missing Children Protocol and the Sutton Children Missing Education Protocol. The LSCP site also has a range of advice for parents/carers, for children & young people, and for people working with children, as well as a range of training – some of which may be relevant.