Reporting a Student Absence

If your child has an unavoidable reason for not attending school, please report the absence via 01206 413813 , or email absence@paxmanacademy.school. Please report absence before 8.20am on the first day of absence and clearly state your child’s name, tutor group, your name and the reason for absence. When providing a reason for absence, please give details. If you only state ‘unwell’ or ‘ill’ or ‘same as yesterday’, this will be recorded as unauthorised absence. You must continue to report absence daily for any continued period of absence, leaving full details of symptoms, as above.  If your child has three continuous days of absence, please send a written note to the office on the third day of absence, confirming what is wrong.

The academy closely follows advice from the NHS and guidance from the Department for Education. The message is quite clear – it is ok to send your child to school with some common or minor illnesses. Common colds, minor coughs, sore throats or headaches alone do not mean your child is too unwell to attend school. Absences for these reasons will not be authorised at Paxman Academy.

Medical Appointments

Please arrange medical appointments outside of school hours, where possible. If your child must attend an appointment during school hours, you are required to notify the Attendance Department via absence@paxmanacademy.school in advance of the appointment date and provide a copy of the appointment in writing (eg, a letter, appointment card or screenshot). Please include the time your child is being collected or has permission to leave the  school site alone, and the expected time of return. Students are required to attend school for as much of the day as possible, both before and after their appointment – only reasonable travel and consultation times will be authorised by the school.

Leave of Absence Requests

Please do not request leave of absence in term time. Paxman Academy complies with government legislation, which states that term time leave of absence can only be taken in ‘exceptional circumstances’. For example: Forces personnel on leave from a foreign posting or significant family events or circumstances. If this is the case, a ‘Leave of Absence’ request form must be completed; this can be obtained here. When completed , it should be accompanied by a letter/email of explanation and submitted to absence@paxmanacademy.school or handed to Reception, for the attention of the Attendance Department. If the school considers an application has not justified ‘exceptional circumstances’, approval will not be given. This is a school decision. If the leave of absence is then taken regardless, the school may seek to apply for legal action in accordance with Education Regulations 2004.

Please click here to apply for Free School Meals and start a New Application.  Please note that you will need your National Insurance Number to apply.

Parent Evenings

Open Evening

Year 6 Events

Year 7 Intake Induction Day

Students will have access to 32.5 hours of education a week at Paxman Academy

We are here to support our pupils and their families.

If you, or a member of your family are living with the challenges of domestic abuse then we are here to help.

Our school is proud to be a member of a local charity called Child First Trust, a collaborative partnership between 28 schools in the Colchester and Tendring area – providing our schools with a range of services including Family Support, Counselling and Speech and Language Therapy. As part of this collaboration, we have been fortunate to benefit from access to The Listening Hub – a website funded by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust – to help and support those dealing with Domestic Abuse and a range of other challenges.

This website is designed to support and empower you, our parents.

It provides you with a growing range of resources and support services to help you with the everyday challenges of life. This website is also a helpful and accessible gateway to support for those whose lives are challenged by Domestic Abuse.

The Listening Hub aims to provide a bridge (accessible in a wide range of languages) to critical support services – including access to our own Family Support Workers.

Should you be seeking support, but are unable to do so safely, the please come and see a member of staff who can support with this. We can provide a safe space and resources for this to be done in private.

We will be extending this website in the months ahead – continuing to build upon the feedback that