SCHOOL INFO FAQs
Basildon C.E. Primary School is committed to a policy of equality, inclusion and accessibility in the education of all pupils and its engagement with all stakeholders, and in the employment opportunities afforded to existing and future employees. Basildon C.E. Primary School fully recognises the diversity of cultural, religious and individual abilities of its pupils, stakeholders and employees, and is active in ensuring that any potential sources of discrimination are addressed in both the physical attributes of the buildings it uses and in the management practices and procedures it adopts.
We have tried to answer some of the most frequent questions people ask about life in school…
How can I find out if the school is closed due to bad weather?
An unscheduled or emergency closure will be notified as early as practically possible, using the School Communication system. It will also be announced on the School Website and on local radio (Heart, Reading, BBC Radio Berkshire).
Can I take my child on holiday during term time?
Basildon CE Primary School follows government guidance when deciding whether to authorise holidays during term time. The West Berkshire Code of Conduct states:.
‘The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 previously allowed headteachers to grant leave of absence for the purpose of a family holiday during term time in “special circumstances” of up to ten school days leave per year. The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 which came in to effect on 1st September 2013 removes references to family holiday and extended leave as well as the statutory threshold of ten school days. The amendments make clear that headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.’
If you wish to make a request for leave of absence from school during term time for any other reason you will need to complete a form and return it to the school office at least one month before the requested absence. You can collect a paper copy of the form from the office or download it here.
Any absence taken where a request has been refused by the Head of School will be recorded as an unauthorised absence. If there are ten or more sessions (five whole days) of unauthorised absence in a ten-week period we have to pass this information onto West Berkshire Council and this may result in a Fixed Penalty Fine and legal action through a Magistrate’s court. Further information is available on the penalty notice leaflet on the West Berkshire Council website or from the Education Welfare Service.