Attendance
Improving school attendance is everyone’s responsibility and it is important that we work together, ensuring children have access to the high quality education that they deserve.
The government has launched a national campaign, aimed at parents and carers, on the importance of school attendance.
From the first day of term to the last, the small moments in a school day make a real difference to your child. #AttendanceCounts
At Heron Hill Primary School, we aim to make sure that children attend school regularly so that they can make the most of the wonderful educational experiences we offer. We take attendance very seriously and we frequently monitor our records to ensure children are attending school regularly. We are aiming for every pupil to achieve attendance levels of 97%, but all pupils should strive to achieve 100% attendance if they can.
We appreciate that there may be occasions when a pupil's attendance is affected due to exceptional circumstances. In these cases, support and advice is always available from school. If you would like to speak to someone, please contact the school office.
Is my child too ill for school?
Sometimes, it can be difficult to decide whether your child is well enough for school. Children can still attend school with minor illness such as a cold or tummy ache and school will contact you if they become too ill to remain in school. If you are unsure, please visit https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/ or contact school, your doctor or pharmacist for advice. Please phone school every morning that your child is absent so that their attendance records are kept accurate and up to date.
Medical appointments
Medical appointments should be made outside school hours. If this is not possible, please make sure your child is in school for the rest of the school day.
What happens if we are worried about your child's school attendance?
If attendance dips below 90% this is categorised as persistent absence by the DFE. This will have a negative impact on your child's wellbeing and academic progress.
'In 2018/19, just 40% of persistently absent (PA) children in KS2 achieved expected KS2 standards, compared with 84% of pupils who regularly attended school.' (Attendance Communications Toolkit for Schools. DfE 2024)
'Regular school attendance can facilitate positive peer relationships, which is a protective factor for mental health and wellbeing.' (Mental Health and Attendance at School. Cambridge University Press 2022)
If we have concerns about your child’s attendance, we will contact you so that we can offer support and work together to ensure your child attends school regularly.
Punctuality matters too!
It is really important that your child attends school on time. We want children to arrive in the classroom feeling settled and ready to learn. We teach phonics or mental maths at the start of each day and regularly missing them has a significant negative impact on pupils' progress and attainment.
Late before register closes Your child is a few minutes late but they have missed the opportunity to say hello to their friends and line up with them in the playground. They might feel unsettled as they start morning lessons.
Late after register closes This counts as an unauthorised absence and will show on your child’s attendance record. Your child has missed the chance to meet their friends before school and are likely to have missed the start of lessons. This could lead to them feeling unsettled and less confident than their friends as the lesson moves on.
Children can come onto the yard from 8.45am and should be ‘in the line by 10 to 9’.
Some useful strategies to improve punctuality:
- Complete homework in the evening, rather than in the morning.
- Get everything ready the night before.
- Make sure your child has a good bedtime routine.
- Try to ensure your child has a good breakfast to set them up for the day.
- Allow enough time for your journey.
If you are finding it difficult getting your child into school on time, please speak to the class teacher or contact our Pastoral Learning Mentor through the school office for advice.
Please see The Heron Hill Primary School Attendance Policy for full details.
Useful Links
Education Hub How to improve your child's school attendance and where to get support. https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/01/03/improving-school-attendance/