St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Swindon

School attendance is crucially important for children and young people’s education, their wellbeing, their safety, and their future prospects. Schools are here to support parents and carers to make sure their children attend school regularly. 

School attendance is also a focus for the Department for Education and is measured by the number of sessions “lost”. Each school day has two sessions, which is why registers are taken twice a day. Ninety percent school attendance is equal to half a day of absence per week – over a year that adds up to four weeks of absence in an academic year.

Over the course of a child’s education, ninety percent attendance means they would be absent for one whole year of their education. Children who regularly miss school may fall behind in their work which can have an impact on their grades. They will also miss out on fun opportunities to learn new things and spend time with friends. Parents can also be assured that when children are in school, they are safe.

Lots of children will say that they don’t want to go to school. This could be for a variety of reasons and so it’s important to find out why from your child, to understand what the reasons are and what we can do to support them. If your child is anxious or refusing to go, this can also be a worrying time for parents. If this is the case, we are here to help you and support your child to want to come to school , so please make us aware if there are any concerns.