Attendance

At Elm Tree Primary School, we believe that good attendance is essential for every child to achieve their full potential and every school day matters. Regular attendance helps pupils develop confidence, build positive relationships and make consistent progress in their learning.

End of academic year attendance (2025 to 2026) at Elm Tree Primary School is 95.1%.

Suffolk Primary School end of academic year average (2025 to 2026) is 94.6%

We know that attendance has a direct impact on achievement. Children who are regularly absent or frequently late are less likely to reach their full potential. Therefore, we work closely with families and do everything we can to support excellent attendance and punctuality.

Arrival and Register Procedures

The school gates open at 8:30am and class registers are taken at 8:50am.

Any pupil arriving after 8:50am must report to the school office with their parent or carer. Parents will be asked to provide a reason for the late arrival, which will be recorded on the pupil's attendance record.

Pupils arriving after 8:50am will receive a Late (L) code.
The morning register closes at 9:20am.
Pupils arriving at or after 9:20am will receive a U code (Late after the close of register), which is recorded as an unauthorised absence for the morning session and will affect overall attendance figures.

The afternoon register is taken at 12:45pm and closes at 1:15pm. For Reception pupils, the afternoon register is taken at 12:30pm and closes at 1:00pm.

If a pupil leaves school during lunchtime and returns after the afternoon register has closed, a U code will be recorded for the afternoon session.

Reporting a Pupil Absence

If your child is absent from school, parents and carers must:

Contact the school office before 8:30am on the first day of absence.
Provide your child's name, class and a clear reason for the absence.
Contact the school on each subsequent day of absence, again before 8:30am.
Be aware that a member of the attendance team may contact you to discuss or clarify the reason for absence.

Where a child has multiple absences due to illness, we may request medical evidence to support future absences.

Celebrating Good Attendance

At Elm Tree Primary School, we actively promote and celebrate good attendance through:

Weekly attendance celebrations during our Fantastic Friday Assembly.
Recognition of classes achieving 96% attendance or above.
Celebration of classes demonstrating excellent punctuality through our "Register Ready" initiative.
Whole-class rewards (Elms) awarded for positive attendance, contributing towards a class reward.
Positive postcards sent to children and families whose attendance has improved.
Sharing attendance successes through school newsletters and our Facebook page.
Weekly attendance updates displayed on classroom door signs.

Working with Parents and Carers

We work in partnership with families to promote excellent attendance and provide support where attendance becomes a concern.

Attendance is monitored regularly, and parents may be contacted if patterns of absence or persistent lateness are identified. Where appropriate, we will work together to identify and overcome barriers to attendance, ensuring every child has the best possible opportunity to succeed.

Our approach is child-centred, with support planned collaboratively with parents, carers and pupils.

Attendance Support Available

Support may include:

Telephone calls home when attendance or punctuality causes concern.
Meetings with the school's Attendance Lead to discuss attendance concerns.
A personalised Attendance Support Plan to identify barriers and outline agreed actions for improvement.
Signposting to appropriate support services and agencies.
Completion of an Early Help Assessment, where appropriate, to provide further family support.

Attendance Team

Mrs Sarah Baker - Senior Attendance Champion / Assistant Headteacher and DSL
Mrs Lauren Dangerfield – Admin Assistant - attendance and pastoral

Together, we can ensure that every child attends school regularly, arrives on time and is able to make the most of every learning opportunity.

Attendance Procedures (Appendix A) 2025