ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
Regular attendance is linked to stronger academic progress, but research also shows that children who attend school regularly often report:
- higher happiness scores
- better concentration
- less worry about falling behind
Regular school attendance contributes to emotional resilience, confidence, and positive development.
Children who attend school 96% of the time or more are far more likely to meet age-related expectations in reading, writing, and maths at the end of primary school.
Although we know that most families work really hard to ensure their children are at school every day, on time, average attendance at St Ives Junior School has been a key area of improvement for our school.
Most children have excellent attendance and we want to thank all those families who make every effort to support this.
Absence due to illness
If your child is going to be off school due to illness, please let us know as early as you can, ideally before 8:30am on the day they are absent. Be sure to tell us the specific reason so we can keep our records up to date. You will receive a call back from the office team to check in and offer any support.
If your child is off for more than one day, we ask that you check in with us each morning with an update – unless we have agreed something different with you.
If a medical professional has confirmed that your child will be off school for a longer period, please provide us with this medical evidence and we will do everything we can to support their learning at home. This may include sending learning materials, arranging regular check-ins (either by video call or home visit) and keeping them connected to school life.
If it looks like the absence will continue for a while or happens often, we will get in touch with the local authority and any other external services to explore any reasonable adjustments and options.
Punctuality
Punctuality is also an important part of good attendance. Arriving at school on time helps children settle quickly, take part in the start of the school day and avoid missing important learning. Registration is at 8.50am and school gates open at 8.40am so that children can check in with their teachers and settle for the start of the day.
Persistent lateness can have a significant impact on a child’s education. Missing the beginning of lessons or the daily routine can make it harder for children to keep up with learning, feel confident and build positive habits for school and later life. Frequent lateness can also be disruptive for the class and may affect a child’s overall attendance record.
Parents and carers are responsible for making sure their child arrives at school on time each day. If lateness becomes a regular concern,we will work with families to offer support and help improve punctuality.
What can you do if your child does not want to come to school?
If your child is feeling anxious about school or is refusing to go, you’re not alone and it’s completely understandable to feel worried. It’s natural to want things to get back to normal as quickly as possible, but the most important first step is helping your child feel safe, understood and supported.
Working closely with the school is key. We’re here to help, and together we can find a way forward. Early support, gentle steps, and working together can make a big difference in helping your child feel more confident and comfortable about school again.
Steps you can take:
- Get in touch with us to chat about what’s going on. We can work together to understand what might be making your child feel this way and explore any extra support we can offer.
- Once we have a clearer picture of what your child is struggling with, whether it’s anxiety, friendships, learning difficulties, or something else, we can put in practical steps to help them feel more confident about returning to school.
- If you’ve received a letter about attendance – it is a prompt for us to talk things through. Ask to meet with our team so we can agree on a support plan that works for everyone.
- Stay in regular contact with us. You can ask for updates on your child’s support plan. These plans will be reviewed regularly to make sure they are working.
- If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), you can ask for a review if you feel their current support isn’t meeting their needs.
- If more specialist support is needed, the school may be able to refer you to other professionals, such as mental health services, family support or educational psychologists.
Holidays during term time
Attending school regularly is vital for children’s learning, progress and wellbeing. Good attendance from an early age supports children to achieve well at school and helps build positive habits for later life.
We recognise that holidays may sometimes be cheaper during term time. However, we ask parents and carers to think carefully before requesting leave, as absence from school can have a negative impact on a child’s education.
By law, headteachers may only authorise absence during term time in exceptional circumstances. A family holiday is not usually considered an exceptional circumstance, and requests must be made in advance.
If a child is taken out of school without authorisation, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised and this may result in a penalty notice from Cornwall Council. Please see our Attendance Policy for further information about leave of absence requests and penalty notices.
