At Wittersham Church of England Primary School, excellent attendance is a priority because we know that being in school regularly has a significant impact on children’s learning, wellbeing, relationships and future success.

Every day in school matters. Learning is carefully sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build upon what children have learnt before. When children miss school, they do not simply miss the work completed on that particular day; they can also miss important building blocks for future learning. Over time, even relatively small amounts of absence can accumulate and make it more difficult for children to keep pace with their peers.

Regular attendance also supports much more than academic achievement. Being in school consistently helps children to develop friendships, establish routines, build confidence and independence, feel part of their class and school community and develop the positive attitudes to learning that will support them throughout their education.

At Wittersham, we want every child to have every possible opportunity to flourish. Good attendance gives children the best chance to:

• Make strong and sustained academic progress
• Build securely on previous learning
• Develop positive friendships and relationships
• Establish routines and positive learning habits
• Grow in confidence, resilience and independence
• Take part fully in the wider life of the school
• Develop a strong sense of belonging
• Prepare successfully for transition to secondary school and the next stage of their education

Monitoring Attendance

We monitor the attendance of every child carefully throughout the academic year.

Attendance is reviewed regularly so that we can identify patterns, emerging concerns or changes as early as possible. We look not only at a child’s overall attendance percentage, but also at patterns of absence and punctuality and the impact these may be having on their education.

Where attendance begins to cause concern, we will communicate with families and work together to understand whether there are barriers preventing a child from attending school regularly. Early communication is important because it enables us to offer support before absence becomes more established.

We recognise that every family’s circumstances are different, and that children will, of course, become genuinely unwell. Our approach is therefore always centred on the individual child. At the same time, we have a responsibility to ensure that every child receives their full educational entitlement and benefits from being in school as consistently as possible.

Reporting an Absence

If your child is going to be absent from school, it is essential that you inform the school office before 9:00am.

Absences must be reported directly to the school office by telephone or email.

Telephone: 01797 270329
Email: office@wittersham.kent.sch.uk

Please contact the school on each day that your child remains absent unless you have already agreed otherwise with the school.

Messages sent through ClassDojo to teachers, teaching assistants or members of the office team should not be used to report an absence.

If a child does not arrive at school, and we have not received a reason for their absence, this becomes a safeguarding concern. We have a responsibility to establish that every child is safe and accounted for and will follow our attendance and safeguarding procedures when we are unable to make contact with a family.

Working Together

Parents and carers play a vital role in establishing positive attendance habits. We ask families to support us by ensuring that children attend school every day that they are well enough to do so, arrive punctually and avoid unnecessary absence during term time.

At Wittersham, our aim is not simply to record attendance percentages. We want to understand each child’s attendance, recognise excellent and improving attendance, identify concerns early and work in partnership with families when additional support is needed.

Every day in school is an opportunity: an opportunity to learn something new, strengthen a friendship, experience success, develop confidence and be part of our school community. By working together to prioritise attendance, we can give every child the very best opportunity to thrive.