Attendance & Punctuality

Children are required to attend school for 190 days each year. If your child is ill, please inform the school by telephone or email each day of absence by 8.30 am, explaining why your child will not attend school. Messages may be left on the attendance voicemail if you are unable to get through to a member of the office team.

We monitor our pupils' attendance regularly and believe a high level of attendance is vital for children to make good progress at school.

Good attendance establishes good routines for later life and the working world, as well as giving children the opportunity to:

• Make lots of friends and feel included

• Increase their confidence and self-esteem

• Improve their social skills

• Achieve their potential and fulfil their aspirations.

•  Research suggests that just 16 days of absence over an academic year (92% attendance) can result in an approximate 30% drop in attainment. 
  

Should you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to book an appointment with Miss McDonagh.

Term Time Holiday

We cannot authorise any holiday-related absence during term time. Family holidays should occur during the school holidays. 

Exceptional Leave

Requests for exceptional leave should be sent to the school office using the form below.  

Punctuality

Children must attend school on time each day so they do not miss valuable learning time. Being 15 minutes late each day is equivalent to missing two weeks of school over an academic year.  Being late can also be stressful for children and disrupt the learning of the rest of the class. 

The school day starts at 8:50 a.m. The school gates open at 8:30 a.m., and the classroom doors open at 8:40 a.m. 

Children arriving at school later than 8:50 am should arrive via the school office to be marked in the register.

As mentioned, should you want to discuss any matters around punctuality, please speak to Miss McDonagh.

Illness

If you know your child will miss school due to illness, medical appointments, etc., you should telephone the school daily during your child’s absence. The office operates a ‘First Day Response’ system, which entails calling any parent we have not received a message from after 9:15 a.m. However, we would appreciate a call, as this saves the office valuable time in the morning.

Is my child too ill for school - NHS

do i need to keep my child off school.pdf

Please see the Attendance policy for full details, which can be downloaded below.

Attendance policy

Leave of Absence form