At Limes Farm Infant School we monitor attendance daily and weekly, our Wellbeing Mentor Mrs Holder works together to support families to improve their attendance. In our approach we ensure that the root cause of the absence is identified and work together with families to remove those barriers. 

We always work collaboratively with parents and carers. 

• We have high expectations, and aspire to high standards of attendance within our school culture.
• We monitor attendance and try to identify patterns as soon as possible
• We listen and understand, so that we can work together to resolve any issues.
• We facilitate early help and support.

DFE Guidance for Schools 

School Attendance is Central to raising standards in education and ensuring all pupils can fulfil their potential is an assumption so widely understood that it is insufficiently stated – pupils need to attend school regularly to benefit from their education.

Missing out on lessons leaves children vulnerable to falling behind. Children with poor attendance tend to achieve less in both primary and secondary school.

The Government expects Schools and local authorities to:

Promote good attendance and reduce absence, including persistent absence.

Ensure every pupil has access to full-time education to which they are entitled; and act early to address patterns of absence.

Parents to perform their legal duty by ensuring their children of compulsory schoolage who are registered at school attend regularly.

All pupils to be punctual to their lessons.

Promoting and Celebrating Good Attendance and Punctuality

At Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery we understand the impact good attendance and punctuality has on our children’s learning and we believe in rewarding good attendance and punctuality to engage and motivate our children.

Research has shown that missing 10% of the school term or more can have serious implications on children’s future achievements and their ‘life choices’.

Attendance and punctuality remains a high profile in school and with our families.

Some of the ways in which we promote and celebrate good attendance and punctuality:

• Weekly celebration assembly to award the class with the best attendance a trophy and additional playtime.

• We have and attendance board to record class attendance percentage. Miss Taylor holds a whole school assembly each half term to celebrate 98%-100% attendance for the half term.

• At the end of the year, every child who has achieved 100% attendance is awarded a 100% medal. Their name is also put into a prize draw to win a special prize.

• Attendance information is shared on the school newsletter.

• Parents are supported of those children who require support on an individual basis.

• Half Termly letters are issued to parents of those children with concerning attendance.