School attendance is important.

Foremost, it must be stressed that if your child is genuinely ill, then there is no expectation for them to attend school, however  "it will usually be appropriate for parents and carers to send their children to school with mild respiratory illnesses…a minor cough, runny nose or sore throat, [but not] if they have a temperature of 38°C or above." Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer, England.

If you are unsure, this section on the NHS website offers guidance:

Is my child too ill for school? - NHS

It is without a doubt that attendance and attainment are linked; research by the Department for Education has evidenced this.  The research report which was published in March 2025 can be found here

The link between attendance and attainment in an assessment year

At lower school age, it is all about establishing good attendance habits and this includes punctuality!  Of course there will be times when children are unavoidably late for school - we understand that, but poor punctuality should only be occasional.

What about medical appointments?  These should, where at all possible, be before or after school and dental check-ups made during the school holidays.

The whole school attendance figures will be published in the half termly Safeguarding newsletter.

A reminder - holidays in term time will be very rarely authorised!