Punctuality...

It is very important for children to arrive at school on time (8:40am).  Sometimes, circumstances may cause children to be late.  If this is the case you must bring your child to the front entrance and let us know why your child was late.  It is very disruptive for your own child, and all the others, for a child to enter the class late.

Attendance...

Didcot Primary Academy is committed to providing a broad, all round education for all, and encouraging our children to strive for excellence.  Therefore, for a pupil to fulfil their full educational potential, a high level of attendance is essential.

We wish to work in partnership with parents and carers and so are seeking your full support in ensuring that your child attends the school every day and on time.  We are always pleased to work together with parents/carers in resolving any difficulties but we are also committed to ensuring that attendance levels are high at Didcot Primary Academy.

We expect a minimum of 97% attendance from all pupils.  If your child's attendance falls to 95% this is a cause for concern, and if it is at 93-94.9% there is a risk of underachievement.  Even within the nursery and Reception classes, children are learning something new every day and this is not always very easy to catch up.

Regular attendance is not just a legal requirement, it is a vital element in order for children to maximise their learning and achieve their full potential.  There are a number of important steps you can take to ensure your child maintains a high level of attendance:

• Ensure the school has up to date addresses and phone numbers. We will contact you by text or phone if your child is absent and your have not contacted the school.
• If your child is ill, contact the school on a daily basis.
• If no contact is received regarding the absence, it is recorded as unauthorised.  Ultimately the school is responsible for deciding if the absence is acceptable or not.
• Only genuine absence will be authorised.  You will be asked to provide medical evidence if your child has a poor attendance record.
• Ensure that medical appointments are made outside of school time where possible. We do require a proof of these appointments to authorise the absence. 
• Avoid trivial absence such as 'buying new shoes', hair cuts or birthday treats. These would not be accepted as reasonable absence and will be treated as truancy.
• Holidays should not be taken in term time and will not be authorised.

The importance of School Attendance

School attendance is vital for children’s learning, wellbeing and wider development, and is a strong protective factor for all children and young people, especially the most vulnerable. It supports their long‑term educational outcomes and helps safeguard them from harms such as exploitation and radicalisation.

Missing school has a clear impact on attainment, affecting progress, confidence and readiness to learn. 

Being in school every day helps children stay connected to learning, peers and the wider life of the school. It promotes a sense of belonging, a stable routine and access to opportunities that support personal, social and academic development. When attendance declines, children are more likely to experience reduced progress, increased vulnerability and poorer long‑term outcomes, including an increased risk of becoming NEET (that is, not in education, employment or training).

Children with a social worker face additional challenges. Pupils on a child protection plan miss, on average, almost 8 weeks of school a year, which is far higher than for the wider pupil population. This highlights the importance of strong collaboration between families, schools and local authority partners to identify barriers early and provide the right support.

Absence and Penalty Notices

If a family feels that leave in term time is unavoidable, an absence request form must be completed at least two weeks prior to the leave date.  This can be obtained from the school office. 

All schools are required by law to report to the local educational authority continual child absence or irregular attendance.  Attendance Officers are consulted when schools experience difficulties in determining if an absence is justifiable. Fixed penalty notices may be issued for holidays or when attendance is poor.  A parent or carer may also be prosecuted for failure to ensure regular attendance at school.