Attendance

Attendance & Punctuality

At Kirkby CofE Primary School, we believe that excellent attendance and punctuality are essential for every child to achieve their full potential. Regular attendance helps children develop strong learning habits, build positive relationships, and fully participate in all aspects of school life.

We expect all pupils to attend school every day, unless they are genuinely unwell or there are exceptional circumstances. Arriving on time is equally important, as late arrival can cause disruption to learning and may result in children missing important information at the start of the school day.

Why Attendance Matters

Supports academic achievement and progress.
Promotes positive wellbeing and social development.
Helps children establish routines and responsibility.
Ensures children do not miss important learning opportunities.

Our Attendance Expectations

Attend school every day.
Arrive on time and ready to learn.
Parents/carers should notify the school as soon as possible if their child is absent.
Medical appointments should be made outside school hours wherever possible.

Working Together

We work closely with families to support good attendance and punctuality. Where attendance becomes a concern, we will contact parents/carers to discuss any barriers and identify appropriate support.

By working together, we can ensure that every child benefits from the full educational experience and is given the best possible opportunity to succeed.

Every day counts. Every Minute Counts.

Attendance Notice- Every Day Counts

Kirkby Church of England Primary School’s Annual school attendance target is 97%. Children that attend school have the best chance and opportunities to thrive.Together we can help your child to feel happy and be successful. Your child deserves a good education and all the opportunities that education can give them in life.

Punctuality Notice - Every Minute Counts

The school day starts at 08:50am but we open our doors to the children at 8.40am so the children can be ready and settled for the register. If you bring your child in late they may have missed the start to the lesson, teacher input, intervention session, phonics session and or guided reading all of which contribute to your child making progress.

If your child is more than 30 minutes late at the start of the school day, they will automatically get an unauthorised absence mark for their morning session (Code U)

Persistent Absentee Information

A pupil is defined as a Persistent Absentee (PA) when their attendance falls below 90%. This means they are missing a significant amount of learning time, which can have a negative impact on their academic progress, wellbeing, friendships and future outcomes.

At Kirkby CofE Primary School, we carefully monitor attendance and work closely with families to identify and address any barriers to regular attendance. When a pupil's attendance falls below 90%, parents/carers will be contacted and offered support to help improve attendance.

We recognise that some absences are unavoidable; however, we encourage parents/carers to ensure that children attend school every day, arrive on time, and only miss school when absolutely necessary.

If you are experiencing difficulties that may affect your child's attendance, please contact the school as soon as possible. Our aim is to work in partnership with families to ensure every child has the best opportunity to thrive and succeed.

Every day counts. Missing just two days of school each month can mean a child misses nearly four weeks of learning across the school year.

Legal Requirement- Attendance

Regular school attendance is a legal requirement. Under Section 7 of the Education Act 1996, parents and carers have a duty to ensure their child receives a suitable full-time education and attends school regularly.

The Department for Education's statutory guidance, Working Together to Improve School Attendance, places a strong emphasis on schools, families and local authorities working in partnership to promote excellent attendance, identify barriers at an early stage and provide support where needed.

Pupils whose attendance falls below 90% are classed as persistently absent, while those attending less than 50% of the time are considered severely absent.

Schools are expected to monitor attendance closely, engage with families to improve attendance and, where support is unsuccessful, work with the Local Authority to consider appropriate legal interventions. Our aim is always to provide support first and ensure every child has the opportunity to benefit from a full-time education

Reminder to Parents/Carers: School Attendance Procedures

To help us ensure the safety and wellbeing of all pupils, we kindly remind parents and carers of our attendance procedures:

If your child is absent from school, please inform the school before 9:00am on the first day of absence.
Absences can be reported by:
- Calling the school office
- Sending an email to the school
- Using the school's parent/carer communication app
Please provide the reason for your child's absence and keep the school updated if the absence continues.
If no reason for absence is received, the absence may be recorded as unauthorised.
Medical evidence may be requested where absences are frequent or where there are concerns about attendance.
Children should arrive at school on time each day. Persistent lateness can affect learning and may be monitored as part of the school's attendance procedures.
If you wish to request leave of absence during term time, including for a family holiday, you must complete a Leave of Absence Request Form and submit it to the Headteacher in advance. Leave of absence will only be authorised in exceptional circumstances, in line with current attendance regulations.

Thank you for your support in helping us promote excellent attendance and punctuality. Working together ensures that every child has the best opportunity to learn, achieve and thrive.

Attendance Awards

To celebrate and promote good attendance and punctuality, we will recognise pupils through:

Weekly Class Attendance Raffle for pupils with 100% attendance that week.
Improved Attendance Certificates for pupils who have made significant improvements in their attendance.
Weekly Punctuality Certificates to recognise pupils who arrive on time consistently.
Class Attendance Awards for classes with the highest weekly attendance.
Full term gold, silver and bronze certificates and badges for all children with 98% -100% attendance.

Why I come to School

Here's what Children at Kirkby CofE school say:

"School is a place where I learn, achieve, make friends, feel safe and grow in confidence every day."

''To learn new things and develop my knowledge''

''To get a good job''

''To find out about the world we live in''

Here is the NHS link for Is my child too ill for school?

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

The Education Hub - Fines for parents/ carers information.

Education Hub - Fines for parents/ carers taking children out of school

Knowsley Council Attendance Page

https://www.knowsley.gov.uk/education-and-schools/attendance-schools/knowsley-councils-responsibility