Attendance
Attendance and Absence
Regular attendance is one of the most important factors in helping children succeed at school. We work closely with families to support good attendance and ensure every child has the best possible opportunity to learn and thrive.
Reporting an Absence
If your child is going to be absent from school, please contact the school office.
We also operate a voicemail service, so if you need to call outside of school hours, please leave a message. Messages are checked each morning and a member of staff will contact you if needed.
If Your Child Is Absent for More Than One Day
We ask parents and carers to contact the school each day of their child's absence to keep us informed and updated on how they are.
Unauthorised Absence
If an absence is not reported to the school, it will be recorded as an unauthorised absence. Unauthorised absences affect your child's overall attendance record.
At Little Harrowden Primary School, we expect children to achieve 95% attendance or above wherever possible.
Term-Time Leave
The school does not authorise holidays during term time.
Any application for leave during term time will only be considered in exceptional circumstances. The Headteacher and Attendance Officer would not normally consider a family holiday during term time to be exceptional.
Penalty Notices
Parents may be fined by the Local Authority for unauthorised term-time leave.
An initial Fixed Penalty Notice of £80 will be issued to each parent, for each child.
For example:
- Two parents
- Two children
A total fine of £320 would be payable.
Please refer to the Attendance Policy below for full details regarding Penalty Notices and attendance expectations.
School Hours
Children are expected to attend school during the following hours:
EYFS and Key Stage 1
8:35am to 3:10pm Monday to Friday
Key Stage 2
8:35am to 3:15pm Monday to Friday
Arriving on time each day helps children settle quickly, access their learning from the start of the day, and make the most of every learning opportunity.
