Pupil Attendance

For children to make the best progress possible, they need to be in school.  Attendance improved drastically last year – which is fantastic news.  However, there were still a small number of children with really low attendance and, for many of them, it had a negative impact on their learning.  
 
Last year we had 50 children with attendance below 90% - this is the same as 



• ½ a day per week; 
• 4 weeks per school year; 
• 2 whole terms for a child who is at Pirton Hill from Reception to Year 6;
• A year and a half across a child’s whole school life (Year R to Year 11)

 
Even just missing 10 days in a year (95% attendance) is the same as 1 term absent across primary school! 
 
Please remember, if your child is sick or has diarrhoea they should be kept off for the rest of that day and the following day.  However, if they are just feeling a bit ill (but haven’t actually been ill) please send them in.  If they need to come home we will contact you.  This is an important “life habit” for them to get into… 
 
Please also note that: 

• you can report illness to the office from 8.15am onwards. 
• you are expected to phone the school on every day of a child’s absence. 
• we will be asking for proof of medical / hospital appointments – without this the absence will be recorded as unauthorised. 
• the classroom doors shut at 8.55am.  If your child arrives at their classroom (not just inside the school gate) after that time they will be recorded as late.