We believe that good school attendance gives children the best possible start in life. Every day in school is a day filled with learning, new experiences, and opportunities to build friendships. Regular attendance helps children make steady progress and ensures they don’t miss out on key skills and knowledge that support their confidence and success. We work hard to make learning fun, engaging and personalised – so that children look forward to being in school each day.
Together, we can work to make sure every child enjoys a consistent, happy school experience. If you ever have concerns about your child’s attendance or need support in getting them to school, our staff are here to help — just speak to us.
Our attendance policy provides further details of how we manage and promote good attendance.
Attendance Policy
Illness
We realise that there will be times when your child cannot attend school due to illness. When this is the case, please notify the school office at the earliest opportunity.
Some illnesses require a period of absence from school which exceeds the duration of the illness itself, for example – children suffering from sickness/diarrhoea cannot return to school until they have been clear of symptoms for 48 hours. This is to control the spread of infection and minimise the impact of illness on the wider school population.
Absence during term time
There are 190 school days in a year, leaving 175 for family time, holidays and appointments. Not taking other (such as illness) absences into account, just taking a fortnight’s holiday during term time each year means that, between the ages of five to 16, a child would miss around half an academic year of learning. We ask all families to prioritise school attendance during term time.
Parents / carers who wish to take their child out of school during term time must complete a Request for Leave Form (link) in advance (ideally at least 4 weeks prior). These requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Executive/Deputy Headteacher who will use government guidelines when considering whether the absence will be authorised or unauthorised. Applications for holidays within term time will not be granted, unless there are considered to be exceptional circumstances.
Please be aware that unauthorised absences may result in the Council issuing a Truancy Penalty Notice
Role of the Education Welfare Officer
Pupil attendance is monitored by the Shropshire Council Education Welfare Officer. Parents of children who have repeated unauthorised absences (include late attendance) may be contacted by the Education Welfare Officer and asked to attend a meeting.