Attendance and Punctuality

Helping pupils attend well and arrive on time

Information about attendance, punctuality, absence reporting, medical evidence and support for families.

Good attendance and punctuality are important for learning, friendships, confidence and wellbeing.

At Trinity Church of England School, Lewisham, we expect pupils to attend school regularly and arrive on time each day. Strong attendance helps pupils build good habits, keep up with learning, take part fully in school life and feel part of the school community.

If your child will not be attending school, please contact the school by 8am on the morning of absence. Failure to inform the school of an absence may result in the absence being recorded as unauthorised.

Our attendance expectation

We expect all pupils to be in school for over 97 percent of the time.

Success, progress and achievement are closely linked to good attendance. When pupils attend school regularly, they are more likely to keep up with learning, build positive relationships and make the most of the opportunities available to them.

Families play an important role in helping pupils attend well and arrive on time.

Reporting absence

If your child will not be attending school on any day, please contact the school by 8am that morning.

Absence should be reported by contacting the school office by telephone or email.

When reporting an absence, please include:

your child’s full name
year group or class
reason for absence
expected return date if known
your name and relationship to the child

Failure to inform the school of an absence may result in the absence being recorded as unauthorised.

Illness and medical evidence

If a pupil is absent because of illness, families should contact the school by 8am on each day of absence unless agreed otherwise.

For pupils who have continued absence due to illness, the school may ask for medical evidence when they return.

Medical evidence may include an appointment card, prescription, hospital letter or other appropriate confirmation.

This helps the school understand the reason for absence and provide support where needed.

Punctuality

Pupils are expected to arrive at school on time, ready to learn.

Arriving late can make the start of the day more difficult and may mean pupils miss registration, worship, personal development or important learning.

Families can support punctuality by helping pupils prepare uniform, equipment, bags and travel arrangements the night before.

Why attendance matters

Attendance affects learning, confidence and future opportunities.

Above 97 percent attendance

This means fewer than six days of absence in a school year.

This is excellent attendance and helps pupils make the most of learning, friendships and wider school life.

95 percent attendance

This means around ten days of absence in a school year.

Pupils may still do well, but regular absence can begin to affect learning, routines and confidence. A two week holiday during term time can reduce attendance to around this level.

90 percent attendance

This means around nineteen days of absence in a school year.

At this level, pupils are missing almost a month of school. This can make it harder for them to achieve their best and may mean they are classed as persistently absent.

85 percent attendance

This means around twenty nine days of absence in a school year.

At this level, pupils miss a significant amount of learning and families may face further action from the Local Authority.

Attendance monitoring

We monitor pupil attendance regularly.

Where attendance becomes a concern, the school may contact families to discuss the reasons for absence and consider what support may help.

Letters may be sent home where there is persistent absence. The Local Authority can issue a Penalty Notice where appropriate.

Our aim is always to work with families early so that concerns can be understood and support can be considered.

Medical appointments

Where possible, medical and dental appointments should be arranged outside the school day.

If an appointment must take place during school time, please inform the school in advance and provide appointment evidence where requested.

Pupils should attend school before and after appointments wherever possible.

Holidays during term time

Families should not book holidays during term time.

Term time absence may only be authorised in exceptional circumstances. Families should contact the school before making any arrangements that may affect attendance.

Supporting good attendance at home

Families can support good attendance by:

making school attendance a priority
keeping regular morning and evening routines
helping pupils prepare uniform and equipment the night before
arranging appointments outside the school day where possible
contacting the school early if there is a concern
working with the school where attendance support is needed

If you are worried about attendance

Please speak to us early if attendance becomes difficult. There may be many reasons why attendance becomes a concern, including illness, anxiety, friendship issues, family circumstances or worries about school. We would rather work with families early so that support can be considered.

If you are worried about your child’s attendance, please contact the school.