Attendance & Punctuality Expectations

Is your child feeling slightly under the weather today but not ill enough to remain at home? Complete our 'Under the Weather' form by clicking this link to inform us about how your child is feeling. This will be shared with relevant staff so that we can support your child during the school day.

At Cheswick Green Primary School, we want to work alongside our parents/carers to support good attendance. Here are some key things to know about our school's expectations around attendance and punctuality:

• Every day counts - Regular attendance gives children the best opportunity to learn, build friendships, develop confidence and feel part of our school community.
• Be an Attendance HERO – Here, Every day, Ready and On time. We want to make attendance something we encourage, understand and celebrate, with every child able to be an Attendance HERO.
• Being on time matters - Our school day starts at 8:50am. Arrivals after 9:00am are recorded as late, and after 9:15am the morning session is recorded as an unauthorised absence unless there are exceptional circumstances.
• Report an absence by 9:15am - If your child cannot attend, tell us by 9:15am and report every day of absence. Please give us the reason and your child's symptoms.
• Term-time holidays - Holidays should be planned during the school holidays wherever possible. Requests for leave during term time will only be authorised in exceptional circumstances. Please speak to us before booking if you feel there are exceptional circumstances that we should consider.
• Please talk to us early - If there is anything making it difficult for your child to attend school regularly or arrive on time, please let us know. Our approach is support first – we want to listen, understand and work with you to identify practical ways we can help.
• We recognise genuine circumstances - Our attendance rewards are fully inclusive, so children will not miss out on recognition because of circumstances such as a part-time timetable, confirmed medical appointments or agreed exceptional circumstances. Please remember that these absences will still count towards your child's overall attendance percentage under Local Authority and DfE measures.
• We want to be proactive, not reactive - We monitor attendance regularly so that we can identify concerns early and offer support before difficulties become more significant. The earlier we know about a concern, the sooner we can help.
  
  Our message is simple: we are here to support you, not to judge you. We understand that families can experience genuine barriers to attendance, and we want to work in partnership with you to overcome these wherever possible. If you have any questions, concerns or would simply like to talk something through, please email the school office, call us, pop into the office or speak to your child's teacher. You can also ask to speak with our Attendance Officer (Mrs Turner) or Family Support Worker (Mrs Rostron).

Attendance & Punctuality Expectations letter - September 2026

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