At Tewin Cowper Church of England Primary School, we want every child to feel happy, confident and ready to learn. Children enjoy coming to school and we work hard to nurture resilience, positive attitudes and a love of learning. Strong attendance is essential in helping pupils achieve their potential and fully benefit from school life. 

Guided by our mustard seed vision and our belief that every child can Believe, Grow and Succeed, we set high expectations for attendance and punctuality so that all pupils have the best opportunity to flourish. 

When children may be absent 

Children should attend school every day unless there is a genuine reason for absence. Acceptable reasons may include: 

• Illness 

• Medical or dental appointments 

• Family bereavement 

• Religious observance 

It is important that parents or carers contact the school directly to explain any absence. We cannot accept explanations from pupils. 

Reporting an absence 

If your child is unwell or unable to attend school, please contact the school office by 8:00am. You can telephone or email the office to report the absence. If you are calling outside office hours, please leave a message on the answerphone. 

If we do not receive a message explaining your child’s absence, the school will contact you to ensure that your child is safe. If no reason is provided, the absence may be followed up by the Headteacher and, where appropriate, the Education Welfare Officer, in line with local authority guidance. 

Term-time leave 

Holidays during term time should be avoided wherever possible as they disrupt children’s learning and progress. Requests for leave during term time must be made in advance to the Headteacher, who will consider them in line with government guidance. 

Similarly, if there are exceptional circumstances that may require your child to miss school, please speak to the Headteacher as early as possible. 

Punctuality 

Arriving at school on time helps children settle quickly and ensures that valuable learning time is not missed. If your child is going to arrive late due to an appointment or other unavoidable reason, please inform the school office before 9:00am. 

If your child arrives after the start of the school day, they must report to the school office so that their attendance can be recorded. 

Lateness adds up. 
Being just 15 minutes late each day can result in around two weeks of missed learning over the course of a school year. 

By working together, we can ensure that every child attends school regularly, feels part of our community and has the opportunity to grow, learn and succeed. 

Further information 

Further details about our expectations and procedures can be found in the School Attendance Policy, which is available via the link below.