The Importance of Regular Attendance

At Leigh on Mendip School, we believe that every day in school counts. Your child’s education is vital to their future and regular attendance plays a key role in helping them reach their full potential.

Why Attendance Matters

We all want the best for our children. Attending school every day:

• Supports learning and academic progress

• Helps build friendships and social skills

• Develops routines, resilience, and independence

• Builds confidence and ambition for the future

Even small amounts of missed time can have a significant impact on a child's learning and progress.

Monitoring Attendance

To ensure that every child is supported, Children Missing Education Officers visit schools regularly to monitor attendance. They pay particular attention to pupils whose attendance falls:

• Below 95% – early concern

• Below 90% – classed as persistent absence

Where necessary, follow-up actions are taken to understand and address the reasons for low attendance, and to work with families to improve it.

Working Together

We are here to support you in ensuring your child attends school regularly and on time. If you are experiencing challenges related to attendance, please speak to us—early communication allows us to work together to find solutions.

If your child is going to be absent from school, please contact the school office before 9:00 a.m on the day of absence.

You can contact us either:

• Call the school office and leave a message on the school’s answerphone

• Email the office

Please remember to include:

• Your child’s name and class

• The reason for their absence

If the absence continues for more than one day, please contact us each morning unless you’ve already informed us how long your child will be off.

Important: In cases of sickness or diarrhoea, children should not return to school until 48 hours have passed since the last episode. This helps to prevent the spread of illness within the school community.

Punctuality and the School Day

The school day begins promptly at 8:45am. All children should arrive by this time to ensure a calm and settled start to their learning.

Arriving Late

• Children who arrive after 8:45 a.m. must report to the school office to be signed in.

• If a child arrives after registration closes (8.50am), they will be recorded as late in the register.

• Arrival after 9:00am will be recorded as an unauthorised absence for the morning session unless a valid reason is provided.

Persistent Lateness

Regular punctuality is vital for learning. Children who are consistently late may be referred to the Children Missing Education Officer, in line with our attendance and safeguarding procedures.

Taking holidays during term time is strongly discouraged, as it can significantly impact your child’s education and progress. In line with national guidance, we can only authorise term-time leave in very exceptional circumstances, and only where a child’s attendance is already consistently high.

Requesting Leave

Please avoid requesting leave of absence during term time unless it is absolutely unavoidable.
If you do need to make a request:

• Ensure that the reason is genuinely exceptional

• Be aware that holidays or family trips are unlikely to be authorised

• Understand that requests may be declined in accordance with school policy and national attendance regulations

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. Our aim is always to prioritise your child’s education and long-term success.

📄 Click here to access the Leave of Absence Request Form