For a child to achieve their full educational potential a high level of school attendance is essential. We are committed to providing an education of the highest quality for all our pupils and endeavour to provide an environment where all pupils feel valued and welcome. Parents and pupils play a part in making our school successful. Every child has a right to access the education to which he/she is entitled. Parents and teachers share the responsibility for supporting and promoting excellent school attendance and punctuality for all. It is our duty to consistently strive to achieve a goal of 100% attendance for all children. The minimum acceptable attendance target at St Mary’s Infants School is 96%. Every opportunity will be used to convey to pupils and their parents or carers the importance of regular and punctual attendance. For the children to take full advantage of the educational opportunities offered it is vital your child is at school, on time, every day the school is open, unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable. The routines children develop around attendance and punctuality at school are the same as the expectations of any future employer in the world of work. High attainment, confidence with peers and staff, and future aspirations depend on good school attendance.

Good attendance is important because:

• statistics show a direct link between educational achievement and absence levels
• regular attenders make better progress, both socially and academically
• regular attenders find school routines, schoolwork and friendships easier to maintain
• regular attenders find learning more satisfying
• regular attenders find transition points easier to manage