At Lee-on-the-Solent Infant and Nursery School we believe that regular punctual attendance is the foundation of securing strong outcomes for children.

"From the first day of term to the last, the small moments in a school day make a real difference to your child"

Moments Matter, Attendance Counts campaign 2024

In February 2024 the DfE published revised guidance on school attendance. The new guidance details the responsibilities of all stakeholders in children’s regular attendance at school and the expectations placed on schools and parents to ensure this.

In partnership with the junior school, we take attendance very seriously and have aligned our Attendance Policies with the new guidance. We are committed to working with our families to ensure that all children attend school regularly and punctually as is their entitlement.

It is the legal responsibility of all parents/carers to ensure that their child is in school on time every day unless in specific circumstances. There are 190 days in the school year which leaves 175 days to spend on family time, appointments and other activities. Children with less than 95% attendance have less chance of success in school than their peers who have higher attendance.

TIPS FOR GOOD ATTENDANCE

• Talk to your child about the importance of going to school every day
• Take an interest in their school work, including helping with homework and attending parents’ evenings. If they know it matters to you it will matter to them.
• Have set times for going to bed and waking up so your child gets plenty of sleep and is up in good time to get to school on time.
• Stop using electronic devices one hour before bedtime. 
• Have clothes and school bag ready the night before.
• Only let your child stay home if they are genuinely ill.
• Celebrate your child’s achievements at school and their good attendance.
• Try to book doctor, dentist, and other appointments after school hours.
• Book holidays in the school holidays, not term time.

Registration times

At Lee-on-the-Solent Infant and Nursery School children must arrive for 8.45am when the register is taken. Children arriving after 8.55am but before 9.00am, will be recorded as late. Children arriving after 9.00am will be marked as an unauthorised absence.

Punctuality 

It is very important that children arrive at school on time.

Arriving 10 minutes late every day is 33 hours of learning time lost each year. Arriving any later than 8.55am is not only unsettling for your child, it is also very disruptive to the other children and staff where teaching and learning has begun.

Absence due to illness

We understand that children can become unwell however they can still attend school with minor ailments. We will always contact you if we believe your child is not well enough to be in school. If your child is too unwell to attend school, we ask that you contact us before 8.45am to inform us of the reason so we can ensure that the absence is recorded appropriately

Requesting leave of absence during term time

If you are intending to remove your child from school for a one or more sessions during term time, you must complete a Leave of Absence Request Form and return it to the school office as far in advance as possible. All requests will be considered by the headteacher and a response given by text. If you have children at Lee-on-the-Solent Junior School, we will consult with them prior to communicating the decision. Only in exceptional cirucmstances will absence during term time be authorised.

Hampshire County Council Policy - Fines and legal action

As school attendance is the legal responsibility of parent/carers, Hampshire County Council’s policy is to issue penalty notices when unauthorised absences reach 10 sessions with 100 sessions. Penalty notices are not only used for unauthorised term time family holidays, they are issued when all unauthorised absences meet the threshold. This includes children being late after registers close. 

For more information on penalty notices and further legal action the local authority may take, please see the resources and links below. 

Hampshire County Council - Attendance guidance

Keeping informed about your child's attendance

You can see your child's live percentage attendance data using the Arbor app.

For more detailed information you can request a copy of your child's attendance certificate from the school office. 

We will notify all parent/carers of their child's attendance data at the end of each term and before Parent and Teacher weeks. 

Support and guidance

If you would like to know more about your child's attendance, advice prior to requesting leave or  with more specific support regarding school attendance, please contact us on 023 92 551 767.