At Harvington C of E First and Nursery School we believe in promoting excellent attendance and punctuality for all pupils as regular school attendance is essential for every child to achieve their full potential, develop positive relationships, make progress academically and socially, and enjoy a successful first school experience. We are committed to providing a safe, calm, and supportive environment where all pupils feel they belong and want to learn. The intention is full (100%) attendance for all members of our school community for the academic year. Our approach is based on the Department for Education's statutory guidance 'Working together to improve school attendance', which places attendance at the heart of our school culture. We view attendance as a collective responsibility shared by pupils, parents/carers, staff, Governors and external agencies. We recognise that children and families may experience circumstances that make regular attendance difficult and are keen to work with and support families to identify and remove barriers to attendance.

We appreciate and understand that sometimes children are genuinely ill and should not attend school, however we are trying to reduce the number of days missed due to minor illnesses. When children are absent from school it means they miss out on valuable learning and friendship opportunities. Studies show that the highest attainers at the end of KS2 are children with the best attendance and below are examples of how attendance is impacted upon by school absence:

To support your child to attain good attendance we ask you to:-

• Make medical appointments outside of the school day, where possible.
• Ensure all holidays are booked during school holiday times. The term dates for the next two years are available on the website.

If you have any concerns or questions please do not hesitate to contact school.

Thank you for your continued support.