The importance of Attendance

At The Willows Primary School, we believe that every school day counts. Regular attendance is essential for your child’s learning, development, and future success. Each day at school offers valuable learning experiences. Consistent attendance not only supports academic progress but also helps children build strong friendships, confidence, and positive routines that support their wellbeing. We understand that children may sometimes be unwell, and we ask that you keep us informed of any absences. If there are any concerns or challenges affecting your child’s attendance, our staff are always here to help and support your family. You can find our attendance policy here.

What are the school procedures for reporting absence?

• You must ring the school office before 9 am on 0161 437 4444 to report your child's absence. This can be an answer message or speaking to someone directly from the school office.

• If you do not report your child's absence, we will contact you.

• We do not authorise absences without a good reason.

• We will monitor attendance carefully and we will write to you if your child's attendance drops below 96% (see flow chart in our attendance policy)

• If attendance problems continue we will ask you to meet with us to discuss the way forward and possibly ask you to provide medical evidence before we will authorise anymore absences.

• If all measures fail to lead to an improvement in attendance, we will refer your child to the Local Authority and this may lead to a Penalty Notice or further legal action being taken.

The importance of Punctuality

Our school doors open everyday at 845am. It is very important your child arrives to school on time. Children arriving after this time will be marked as present but arriving late. This can affect your child's overall attendance. If this is a regular occurrence, a meeting will be called with the School Attendance Lead. Five unauthorised absences can incur a penalty notice warning followed by a penalty fine.

Being on time is an important life skill, and it starts at primary school. When children arrive at school on time, they start the day calmly, settle into routines, and are ready to learn. Arriving late can cause children to miss key instructions, disrupt the class, and can sometimes affect their confidence. At The Willows Primary School, we encourage all families to support their child by ensuring they arrive at school promptly each morning. Good punctuality helps children feel prepared, focused, and ready to make the most of every learning opportunity.

What can you do to help your child's attendance?

• Ensure your child attends school EVERY DAY and on time.

• Celebrate your child’s attendance with them – it is really important for your children to hear this!

• Have good routines for bedtime and morning time (children thrive off routine).

• Try to make any medical appointments outside of school time or at weekends. Any medical appointments in school time must be proven with medical evidence/appointment

• Always contact us on 0161 437 4444 and speak to one our attendance team if you need any help or support with your child’s attendance.