Attendance
Your Child's Attendance
At Andover C of E Primary School, we want every child to feel happy, secure and ready to learn.
Being in school regularly gives children the best opportunity to learn, build friendships, develop confidence and enjoy everything school has to offer.
We understand that family life can sometimes be challenging and there may be times when getting your child into school is difficult.
If something is affecting your child's attendance, please talk to us. We are here to help.
Attendance Policy 2025-26
What Does Good Attendance Look Like?
What Does Good Attendance Look Like?
Every Day Counts!
We aim for all our children to have attendance of 96% or above.
🟢 96–100% – Good attendance
🟠90–95.9% – Attendance needs to improve
🔴 Below 90% – Persistent Absence
Attendance percentages can sometimes be misleading. 90% might sound good, but it means a child is missing around one day of school every two weeks.
Punctuality
We understand that mornings can sometimes be challenging; however, arriving on time makes a real difference. When children arrive late, they miss important learning opportunities and can find it harder to settle into the day. Late arrivals can also interrupt the learning of their classmates who are already engaged in their lessons. Although 5 minutes may not seem like much, being 5 minutes late every day adds up to the equivalent of around 3 days of lost learning across the school year.
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Registration |
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8.35am |
Gates and classroom doors open |
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8.45am |
Register in class. Any children arriving after this time will be registered at the gate and receive a late mark, L, (before registers close) on their attendance record. |
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9.00am |
Any children arriving after this time will receive a Late mark (after registers close) on their attendance record. This is an unauthorised absence (U) and builds up to be a persistent absentee. |
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9.15am |
If a child is not in school and there has not been any contact with parents to explain the absence, the office will phone parents starting with our Year 6 children. |
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9.45am |
If the office has been unable to speak to parents to verify the child’s welfare, the Headteacher, Family Support Worker or SENDCo will be notified and if necessary, visit the family home to ensure the child is safe. |
What if My Child is Unwell?
We know that children become unwell and there will be occasions when your child is not well enough to attend school.
If your child is going to be absent, please contact the school on the first morning of their absence and tell us why they will not be attending.
Please continue to keep us informed if their absence continues.
Not sure whether your child is well enough for school?
The NHS provides useful guidance for parents about common childhood illnesses and when children should stay at home.
Sickness and Diarrhoea
Children with vomiting or diarrhoea should remain away from school until 48 hours after their last episode.
Medical & Dental Appointments
Where possible, please arrange routine medical and dental appointments outside school hours or at the start or end of the day. We understand that this isn't always possible and if your child needs an emergency appointment during the school day, please let the school office know.
Holidays & Leave During Term Time
We ask that parents/ carers, where possible, plan and take their family holidays in the annual 13 weeks holiday from school. School dates are published on the website. No holidays will be authorised during term time, unless it is for exceptional circumstances. Only the Headteacher can authorise leave during term time in exceptional circumstances.
If you need to request a leave of absence, please complete the Exceptional Leave of Absence Request Form.
Penalty Notices
A Penalty Notice may be considered when a child has 10 or more sessions of unauthorised absence within a rolling period of 10 school weeks.
The 10 sessions do not have to be consecutive and may include different types of unauthorised absence, including arriving after the register has closed.
Reaching the threshold does not mean that a fine is automatically issued. Each case is considered individually and, where appropriate, support will be considered.