At Greswold, we believe (supported by research studies):

• Poor attendance and persistent lateness can disadvantage a child’s development and wellbeing;
• Good attendance enables children to take full advantage of the educational opportunities available;
• In the early stages of education, pupils’ attitudes are strongly influenced by those of parents/carers/carers. It is therefore essential that parents/carers set a good example to children by actively valuing good attendance and punctuality.

Parents/carers of registered pupils have a legal duty under the Education Act 1996 (sec 444) to make sure that children of compulsory school age attend school on a regular and full-time basis.  Permitting unauthorised absence from school is an offence and parents/carers may be reported to the Local Authority if problems cannot be resolved by agreement.  Good attendance is directly linked to a child’s success in school and Ofsted use attendance as a key indicator of a school’s success.

The school fulfils its obligations following the DfE ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ statutory guidance (August 2024). We believe that improving attendance is a priority to ensure that children get the most from their education. 

Please see our Attendance Policy and Attendance Support Escalation Plan on our policies page and our punctuality page for more details.

We also like to promote good attendance via our Attendance Superstars page.