Attendance

Cheadle Primary School

Good Attendance Matters!

Why Good Attendance Is Important

•       Better Learning

•       Students who attend regularly are more likely to keep up with lessons and make steady progress.

•       Stronger Social Skills

•       Being at school helps children develop friendships, teamwork, and communication skills.

•       Builds Good Habits

•       Showing up every day teaches responsibility and prepares students for future success.

•       Higher Achievement

•       Regular attendance is linked to higher performance in reading, writing, and maths.

How Families Can Help

•       Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.

•       Prepare school materials the night before.

•       Schedule appointments outside school hours when possible.

•       Keep children home only when truly unwell.

•       Contact the school if you need support.

Why Attendance Matters

•       Consistency builds confidence: Children feel more secure and confident when their daily routine is steady.

•       Absences add up quickly: Even a few days missed can cause learning gaps that are hard to catch up on.

•       Early patterns last a lifetime: Good attendance habits in primary school lead to better habits in secondary school and beyond.

•       School is a safe, supportive environment: Regular attendance helps children stay engaged, build friendships, and feel part of the school community.

•       You are a key partner: Your encouragement and routines help your child succeed every day.

Cheadle Primary School Attendance Summary for Parents

Cheadle Primary School is committed to providing a high-quality education, which requires pupils to have good attendance and punctuality. The school aims to build strong relationships with families to ensure every child can access their full-time education.

Your Key Responsibilities

As a parent, your primary legal and school-based responsibilities include:

• Ensuring Daily Attendance: You must make sure your child attends school every day on time.

• Reporting Absence: If your child is absent, you must call the school office by 8:30 am on the first day and every subsequent day of their absence. Please leave a message and do not use email for this purpose.

• Emergency Contacts: You must provide the school with more than two emergency contact numbers.

• Medical Appointments: Please schedule medical and dental appointments outside of school hours whenever possible. If an appointment during the school day is unavoidable, your child should only be out of school for the minimum time necessary.

School Timings

• Start of the Day: School starts at 8:30 am, and pupils are expected to be in by this time. School gates open at 8:20 am.

• Lateness: The register is taken at 8:45 am and closes at 9:00 am. Arriving after 9:00 am is recorded as an unauthorised absence.

Term-Time Leave and Holidays

• Exceptional Circumstances Only: The Headteacher can only grant leave during term time for exceptional circumstances, such as medical or family emergencies.

• Holidays: The Department for Education does not consider holidays or leisure trips to be exceptional circumstances; therefore, these are very unlikely to be authorised.

• Request Process: Requests for planned absence should be submitted at least four weeks in advance using the school's request form.

Support and Sanctions

• Monitoring: The school regularly monitors attendance. If your child’s attendance falls below 95%, you will receive a letter; if it falls below 85%, you will be required to attend a meeting to create an Attendance Action Plan.

• Penalty Notices: The school can issue fines (Penalty Notices) for unauthorised absences. A first penalty notice is £80 if paid within 21 days, rising to £160 if paid within 28 days.

Please follow this link to view our Attendance Policy