Why does attendance matter?

At St John's, we believe that every day in school matters. Good attendance is closely linked to academic achievement, emotional wellbeing, safeguarding and positive relationships with friends and staff.

Children who attend regularly are more likely to:

• Achieve their full academic potential
• Feel settled, happy and secure
• Develop positive friendships
• Build resilience and confidence
• Access the full curriculum and wider opportunities available at school.

Attendance is an important safeguarding responsibility. Children who are not regularly seen in school can be more vulnerable and may miss out on the support they need. The Government continues to emphasise the strong link between attendance and safeguarding.

At St John's, we work in partnership with families to achieve excellent attendance for every child and to remove barriers where they exist. Our aim is for all pupils to attend school regularly and arrive on time every day. We believe that children thrive when they attend regularly, feel that they belong and are fully connected to the life of the school community.

What are our attendance expectations?

We expect pupils to:

• Attend school every day unless genuinely unwell
• Arrive on time each day
• Attend all lessons and learning sessions
• Avoid taking holidays during term time.

We ask parents and carers to:

• Ensure their child attends school regularly
• Notify the school promptly before school if their child is absent
• Arrange routine medical appointments outside school hours
• Work with us if attendance concerns arise.

Attendance is everyone's responsibility and we are committed to working positively with families.

How do I report an absence?

If your child is unable to attend school:

• Notify the school before the start of the school day
• Provide a clear reason for the absence
• Keep the school updated if the absence continues.

If we do not receive a reason for absence, school staff will make contact to ensure that children are safe and accounted for.

The safety and wellbeing of our pupils is always our priority. Persistent unexplained absence may be treated as a safeguarding concern and followed up accordingly.

How do we support children to attend regularly?

We recognise that some children face barriers to attendance.

Our support may include:

• Meetings with parents and carers
• Early Help referrals
• Emotional wellbeing support
• Support for pupils with SEND
• Nurture and pastoral provision
• Liaison with health professionals
• Individual attendance plans
• Support from the Education Welfare Service.

We believe in understanding and addressing the reasons behind absence and working collaboratively with families to achieve lasting improvements.

Ali Askin is our SEMH worker and parent support advisor. She works closely with families to support strong attendance and remove barriers. Please contact her at if you would like support or advice.