Attendance at Moat Farm Infant School

Welcome to our Attendance page. We are committed to ensuring every child feels safe, supported, and eager to come to school every day. At Moat Farm Infant School, we are dedicated to providing a supportive environment where every child can flourish. Regular attendance and punctuality are key to this, helping children engage fully with their learning and build strong relationships. We understand that good attendance is the foundation of successful learning and development. By working together with families, we uphold our values of Collaboration, Respect, Creativity, Perseverance, Caring, and Reflectiveness to ensure every child’s success.

Our whole school attendance target for 2025/2026 is for our whole school attendance to be 96% or better and PA to be no higher than 10%. This reflects our drive to improve attendance for everyone and to ensure our children get the best education they can while attending our school.

In 2024/2025 our whole school attendance was 95.2%, our PA was 12.65%

In 2023/2024 our whole school attendance was 93.4%, our PA was 14.23%

In 2022/2023 our whole school attendance was 92.4%, our PA was 20.65%

School Day Timings

To help families plan their day, please note the school timings for Reception and Key Stage 1 pupils:

• Gates open: 8:00 am
• Doors open: 8:30 am
• Gates close: 8:50 am
• Morning Registers: (Registers are taken promptly at this time, so arriving before 8:50 am is important)
  • Reception: 8:50 am
  • Year 1: 8:50 am
  • Year 2: 8:50 am
• Afternoon Registers:
  • Reception: 12:20 pm
  • Year 1: 1:00 pm
  • Year 2: 1:30 pm
• End of School Day: 3:10 pm

Arriving on time ensures children do not miss valuable teaching time and helps maintain a calm and respectful start to the day for all.

Why Attendance Matters

Attendance is everyone’s business. We know that the barriers to regular school attendance can be complex and varied, often unique to each child and family. At Moat Farm Infant School, we believe that by nurturing a calm, orderly, and supportive environment, we help children want to come to school and thrive. This directly supports our school values of Collaboration, Caring, and Respect.

The law entitles every child of compulsory school age to a full-time education that suits their age, aptitude, and any special educational needs. Parents have a legal responsibility to ensure their child attends school regularly, attending every day the school is open unless prevented by illness or authorised absence.

Regular attendance to school can have a significant impact on: 

• Academic Achievement: Regular attendance directly correlates with academic success. Children who attend school consistently are more likely to keep up with the curriculum, perform better in exams, and improve their life outcomes.
• Knowledge Acquisition: School is where children acquire knowledge and skills that are crucial for their personal and professional growth. Missing days means missing out on valuable learning opportunities.
• Social Development: School provides a vital social environment for children to interact with peers, develop friendships, and learn essential social skills. Consistent attendance ensures children remain connected to their peer group.
• Building Routine: School attendance establishes a structured routine in children’s lives, teaching them time management and responsibility, which are valuable life skills.
• Teacher Interaction: Regular attendance allows for meaningful teacher-child interactions. Teachers can provide personalised support, address questions, and assess individual progress more effectively when children attend regularly.
• Preventing Knowledge Gaps: Frequent absences can lead to significant knowledge gaps, making it challenging for children to catch up with missed lessons, potentially resulting in long-term academic struggles.
• School Engagement: Children who attend school regularly are more likely to engage in extracurricular activities, sports, and other enriching experiences that contribute to their overall development.
• Legal and Parental Responsibility: Parents or guardians are legally responsible for ensuring their child’s regular school attendance. Failing to do so can lead to legal consequences.

Our Approach to Attendance

We work closely with families to understand and overcome any barriers to attendance, reflecting our commitment to Perseverance and Reflectiveness. Our attendance policy is clear and shared with all parents, ensuring everyone understands expectations and procedures.

Key points of our attendance approach include:

• Clear Expectations: Pupils should arrive on time each day, ready to learn in a safe and welcoming environment.
• Communication: We encourage parents to inform us promptly if their child is unwell or unable to attend.
• Supportive Partnership: Our staff work collaboratively with families, offering support where needed to help children attend regularly.
• Monitoring and Follow-Up: We closely monitor attendance data to identify and support pupils or groups who may need extra help.
• Legal Responsibilities: Where attendance concerns arise, we follow the Department for Education guidance to ensure all children receive their entitled education.

Living Our Values Through Attendance

At Moat Farm Infant School, our vision and values guide everything we do. By fostering Creativity and Collaboration, we create a learning environment where children feel inspired and connected, making school a place they want to be. Our value of Caring ensures that every child’s wellbeing is at the heart of our attendance efforts, while Perseverance encourages persistence in overcoming challenges to attendance. Finally, Reflectiveness helps us continually improve our strategies to support families.

How You Can Help

As parents and carers, your role is crucial in promoting good attendance. Here are some ways you can support your child’s attendance:

• Ensure your child attends school every day unless they are too ill.
• Be organised, make sure your child arrives to school on time ready to learn.
• Contact the school on each day of absence to let us know the reason.
• Arrange medical appointments outside of school hours where possible.
• Encourage a positive attitude towards school and learning at home.
• Avoid booking holidays, trips and visits during term time, as these can disrupt learning.
• Talk to us early if your child is experiencing difficulties that affect attendance.

We are here to support you if your child faces challenges that affect their attendance. Please contact our attendance officer or school office for advice and assistance.

What Happens If My Child Is Absent?

If your child is unable to attend school due to illness or another unavoidable reason, please inform us as soon as possible on each day of absence. This helps us ensure your child’s safety and wellbeing, reflecting our values of caring and respect.

• We will keep in touch with you to offer support and discuss any concerns.
• If your child’s absence becomes prolonged or frequent, we will complete home visits to support your child returning to school.
• We will decide whether to mark your child’s absence as authorised or unauthorised.

Holidays and Family Visits During Term Time

We appreciate that family time is important, but we encourage you to plan holidays and visits to family outside of term time wherever possible. Taking time off during the school term can disrupt your child’s learning and the progress they make.

• Requests for term-time holidays must be made prior to booking or at least 10 days in advance and will be considered carefully in line with government guidance and our attendance policy.
• Leave of absence will only be authorised in exceptional circumstances.
• Unauthorised absences may result in penalties as outlined by local authority regulations.

By prioritising attendance, we uphold our value of perseverance, helping children build strong foundations for their future learning.

Key Attendance Terms Explained

We want to ensure all parents understand how attendance is monitored and the terminology used:

Persistent Absence (PA)

• What it means: When a child’s attendance falls to 90% or below.
• Why it matters: This means your child has missed 19 or more school days in the academic year, which can affect their learning and social development.
• Our approach: We work with families to identify any barriers and offer support to improve attendance.

Severe Absence (Severe Persistent Absence)

• What it means: When a child misses more than 50% of school.
• Why it matters: These pupils face significant challenges in attending regularly and often need more intensive support.
• Our approach: We collaborate with external agencies and families to provide tailored support and help remove barriers to attendance.

Risk of Persistent Absence

• What it means: Children whose attendance is declining and may soon become persistently absent.
• Why it matters: Early identification helps us intervene before attendance becomes a serious concern.

Our approach: We monitor attendance closely and engage with parents early to offer advice and assistance. See tables 1 and 2 which is how we identify pupils who may be Risk of PA.

Summary

Regular attendance is vital for your child’s learning, wellbeing, and future success. At Moat Farm Infant School, we are dedicated to working together with families to remove barriers and promote a culture where every child can flourish. Together, we can ensure that school is a positive, engaging, and rewarding place for all our children.

If you have any questions or need support regarding attendance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Moat Farm Infant School – At Moat Farm Infants everyday, we learn, achieve, have fun and play!

Moat Farm Infant School – At Moat Farm Infants everyday, we learn, achieve, have fun and play!