SpetisburyCofE Primary School

🕘 Attendance Matters

At Spetisbury, we believe every school day counts. We expect every child to attend school every day, unless there is a genuine reason not to. When children are in school regularly and on time, they thrive—socially, emotionally and academically.

We work in close partnership with families to support high attendance and good punctuality. That means celebrating good habits, offering support when things are tricky, and being clear about expectations when attendance becomes a concern.

📊 Why Attendance Is So Important

Missing school can have a lasting impact. Just one day off each week adds up to nearly two full years of missed education over a child’s school life.

National statistics show that:

• 90% of persistent absentees in primary school do not go on to achieve five good GCSEs

• Around one third leave school with no qualifications at all

We don’t want that future for any of our children—and we know you don’t either.

🤝 A Shared Responsibility

Good attendance doesn’t happen by accident—it’s a shared effort between school, families and the wider community. Our attendance policy sets out clear roles, responsibilities and procedures so that everyone knows how we work and what we expect.

We are proud to have robust systems in place, but our approach is always rooted in care and understanding. We’ll work with you to overcome barriers and find solutions.

🤒 When Your Child Is Unwell

We understand that children sometimes feel too poorly to be in school. The NHS provides helpful advice on deciding whether your child is too ill for school—we encourage all families to follow this guidance.

If your child is going to be absent:

• Please contact the school office as early as possible on the morning of the absence

• Let us know the reason so we can record it appropriately

📞 Call: 01258 452 107
📧 Email: office@spetisbury.dsat.org.uk