Attendance Matters

Why is school attendance important? 
 

Regular attendance gives pupils many opportunities each day to develop their communication skills, confidence and independence. Our staff understand each pupil's individual communication needs and are committed to supporting them in the way that works best for them.
 

We also recognise that, for many of our pupils, attending school every day can sometimes be challenging due to their health needs. We work closely with families to provide support during both good times and more difficult periods, helping every child to access their education as consistently as possible.
 

Schools are legally required to keep accurate attendance records and to record the reasons for any absences. The government provides clear guidance on how attendance should be managed, and all schools are expected to follow this guidance.
 

If your child is unable to come into school for any reason, please contact the Attendance Team by 9am on the first day of absence, via pupilabsence@mmc.nestschools.org

When a pupil who is expected to attend school is absent without explanation, or stops attending without a known reason, the Attendance Team will contact the parent/carer on the first morning of the unexplained absence to establish the reason. If the school is unable to contact any of the pupil’s emergency contacts by telephone, email or text message, safeguarding procedures will be followed as appropriate, which may include conducting a home visit.

The Attendance Team monitor attendance weekly in line with the NEST policy.  If your child has 10 or more sessions of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks (10 sessions is equivalent to 5 days, due to days being split into two sessions), you may be issued with a notice to improve letter.

If your child is absent from school for more than five consecutive days, a member of our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) team may arrange a home visit to check on their wellbeing and offer any support that may be needed. Where a pupil is absent for a longer period, regular weekly home visits may be put in place to help us stay connected and work closely with families during this time.

Authorised or Unauthorised?
 

An authorised absence is when the school agrees that a pupil has a valid reason for being away from school. This is usually due to illness, a medical need, an emergency, or another unavoidable circumstance.
 

Some examples of authorised absence include:

• Illness that means a child is too unwell to attend school
• Following NHS guidance to remain at home after certain infectious illnesses
• Emergency medical or dental appointments
• Medical, physiotherapy or occupational therapy (OT) appointments
• Wheelchair clinic appointments
• Recovery following an operation or medical procedure
• Bereavement following the death of a close family member
• Religious observance
   

An unauthorised absence is when the reason for a pupil's absence is not considered acceptable under attendance guidance, or when no reason for the absence has been provided and the school is unable to establish why the pupil is not in school.
 

Examples of unauthorised absence include:

• Looking after a younger sibling or another family member
• Shopping trips or days out
• Time off for birthday celebrations
• Staying at home to wait for a delivery
• Family holidays during term time that have not been authorised by the school
   

We understand that every family situation is unique. If you are unsure whether an absence is likely to be authorised, please contact the school and we will be happy to discuss this with you.
 

Why is it important that my child arrives on time each day?
 

Arriving at school on time helps children start their day calmly and confidently. When pupils arrive late, they may miss important information, activities and opportunities to connect with their classmates and staff. For some children, a late start can also make it more difficult to settle into the school day and establish a positive routine.
 

Schools are required to keep accurate attendance records, including recording when pupils arrive late. If a pupil arrives after the start of the school day but while the register is still open, this will be recorded as a late arrival. If a pupil arrives after the register has closed, the absence will usually be recorded as an unauthorised late mark unless there is an exceptional circumstance or appropriate evidence has been provided.
 

Even small amounts of lost time can have a significant impact over the course of a school year. For example, a pupil with 85% attendance misses nearly half a term of learning each year. Similarly, arriving just 10 minutes late each day can add up to around two weeks of lost learning time across the school year.
 

What about medical appointments?
 

We understand that pupils need to attend medical and dental appointments and that it is not always possible to arrange this outside of school time. Please send all evidence to the Attendance Team on pupilabsence@mmc.nestschools.org 
 

Holidays During Term Time
 

If you are planning to take your child out of school during term time, please submit a holiday request via pupilabsence@mmc.nestschools.org   as early as possible. All requests will be considered by the Headteacher, who will make a decision based on the individual circumstances of each case. Families should be aware that term-time leave cannot be automatically authorised, and each request will be assessed on its own merits in line with school policy and government guidance.

If you have any questions regarding attendance or absence, please do not hesitate to reach out to the attendance team.