Attendance 

Attendance at Ixworth CE Primary School

At Ixworth CE Primary School, we work in partnership with parents and carers to promote excellent attendance, ensuring every child has the best possible opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential. Our vision, “On a journey together where learning has no limits,” inspired by Isaiah 40:31, reminds us that pupils will “soar on wings like eagles.” Good attendance is a vital part of this journey, enabling every child to flourish spiritually, academically and socially.

Why is Good Attendance So Important?

Regular school attendance plays a crucial role in children’s learning, wellbeing and development. By law, all children of compulsory school age (5–16 years) must receive a full-time education. Once a child is enrolled at school, parents and carers have a legal responsibility to ensure their child attends regularly. Failure to meet this responsibility may result in a penalty notice or legal action.

Good attendance is important because pupils:

• Get on better with learning and other children, building friendships rooted in kindness and respect.

• Cope better with school routines, work and friendships, fostering a stable and nurturing environment.

• Find learning easier because they do not miss out on essential lessons and experiences.

• Are more successful moving between primary school, secondary school, higher education and employment or training.

• Are known to be safe and well by us, reflecting our commitment to safeguarding and pastoral care.

Research shows a direct link between high attendance and doing well at school. At Ixworth CE Primary School, we believe that every day matters. Even 90% attendance means a child misses the equivalent of half a day each week, almost four weeks of learning across a school year, and more than one full school year over their school career. This impacts their progress and future opportunities.

Faith-Based Reflection on Attendance

Attendance is not only about academic success but also about nurturing the whole child in the light of our Christian values. As Isaiah 40:31 reminds us, “They will soar on wings like eagles.” Regular attendance allows pupils to grow in faith, hope and love within a supportive community, enabling them to rise to their God-given potential.

We see school as a place where pupils develop spiritually as well as intellectually, learning to live out values such as perseverance, respect and kindness. By attending school regularly, pupils engage fully in this holistic journey, supported by staff who care deeply for their wellbeing and growth.

Our Commitment to Supporting Attendance

We carefully track the attendance of all pupils and work closely with families, the Tilian Academy Trust and the Education Welfare Officer to support children where attendance is a concern and where there is no clear or valid reason for absence.

We encourage regular and punctual attendance in the following ways:

• Providing a caring, nurturing and welcoming learning environment where every child feels valued and inspired to learn.

• Responding promptly to a child’s or parent’s concerns relating to events in school, ensuring open and compassionate communication.

• Marking registers accurately and punctually during morning and afternoon registration to maintain clear records.

• Celebrating and rewarding good attendance to motivate pupils and acknowledge their commitment.

• Monitoring pupil attendance, informing parents/carers of irregular attendance and offering support to improve attendance.

When Does My Child Need to Be in School?

• Gates open at 8:35am, allowing children to arrive and prepare for the school day.

• School officially starts at 8:45am, and all pupils should be in their classrooms ready to learn.

• Morning registration begins at 8:45am and finishes promptly at 8:55am.

• Children arriving after 8:55am will be marked as 'late' in the register.

• Children arriving after 9:00am will be marked as having an unauthorised absence for the morning session.

• Afternoon registration is taken at 1:00pm, and punctual attendance is expected.

Explaining My Child's Absence

If your child is unable to attend school, please follow these important steps to ensure their absence is recorded correctly and authorised where appropriate:

• Contact the school by telephone or email on the first day of your child’s absence to inform us of the reason.

• Continue to notify the school every day your child remains absent unless you have agreed a longer period of absence with the school.

• If you do not contact us on the first day of absence, we will contact you to find out the reason to ensure your child’s safety and wellbeing.

• If no explanation is provided, or if the explanation is unsatisfactory, the absence will not be authorised.

• Unauthorised absences will be recorded and will be reflected in your child’s end-of-year report.

Clear communication helps us support your child’s attendance and learning effectively while fulfilling our safeguarding responsibilities.

Reasons for Absence the School Will Accept

At Ixworth CE Primary School, we understand that there are legitimate reasons why a pupil may need to be absent from school. Absences for the following reasons will be authorised, provided they are communicated clearly and promptly to the school:

• Illness - when a pupil is too unwell to attend school;

• Emergency dental or medical appointments - routine appointments should be scheduled outside of school hours, during weekends or in school holidays wherever possible;

• Days of religious observance - for recognised religious festivals or events;

• Family bereavement or funerals - of immediate family members;

• Weddings of immediate family members;

• Educational visits or activities - authorised by the school as part of the curriculum or enrichment;

• Compassionate grounds - exceptional circumstances agreed by the school;

• Unavoidable causes - such as severe weather conditions or emergency school closures.

Please note that all absences must be reported and explained to the school at the earliest opportunity to be considered for authorisation.