School Attendance

At our school, we have set a target for all children to achieve at least 96% attendance. We recognise that this is an ambitious target, but we believe it is achievable when we work together as a school and as families to support children in attending school as regularly as possible.

We know that there are times when children are unwell or when circumstances arise that are outside our control. Our aim is not to place pressure on families, but to work in partnership with parents and carers to help every child have the best possible attendance.

Regular attendance is incredibly important for children. Every day in school is an opportunity to learn, make progress, build friendships and develop confidence. Being in school regularly helps children to feel connected to their class and ensures they don't miss important learning that can be difficult to catch up on.

As parents and carers, you play a vital role in supporting your child's education, and ensuring that they attend school regularly is an important part of this. It is also the legal responsibility of parents and legal guardians to ensure that their child receives an education.

Sometimes it can be surprising to see how quickly a few days of absence can add up. The document below shows how much learning can be missed when attendance falls and highlights why every school day really does matter.

We are grateful for the continued support of our families in helping us to ensure that our children attend school regularly and get the most from their education.

If you would like to know your child's current and up-to-date attendance figure, this will be shown on MCAS under attendance.

Leave of Absence

If you need to request a leave of absence for your child, please complete a Leave of Absence application Form and return it to the school office before the planned leave takes place.

We appreciate that there may be occasions when families need to request time away from school, and we will consider each request carefully in line with the current attendance guidance.

A copy of the Leave of Absence Application Form is available below for you to complete.

Sickness

We completely understand that children do become unwell and, when they are genuinely too poorly to attend school, they should stay at home to rest and recover. We know that parents and carers always want to do what is best for their child.

The National Framework for Attendance has introduced clearer expectations around attendance and absence due to illness. As a school, we have a responsibility to monitor attendance carefully and to work closely with families where there are repeated or frequent absences.

Under the current guidance, schools are required to provide information to the Local Authority when a pupil has missed 15 registration marks due to illness. This is part of the wider approach to supporting good attendance and making sure children are able to access their education as regularly as possible.

If your child is unwell and unable to attend school, please let us know before 9:00am on the first day of their absence, providing as much information as possible about what is wrong with them. This helps us to keep our records accurate and, most importantly, lets us know that your child is safe and being cared for at home.

On occasions where we need a little more information about an absence, a member of the school team may contact you. Please don't worry — this is simply part of our role in keeping track of attendance and making sure we are able to offer the right support to families when needed.

We appreciate that it isn't always easy to decide whether your child is well enough to come to school. To help with this, we have included two helpful NHS documents below, which offer guidance about common childhood illnesses and when it is appropriate for children to stay at home.

Thank you for working with us to give every child the opportunity to learn, grow, make friends and achieve their very best. By working together, we can give every child the best possible opportunity to learn, enjoy school and thrive.