Attendance
Every day in school matters
Regular attendance is one of the single most important factors in a child’s progress and wellbeing. At Pallister Park, we work closely with every family to make sure every child is in school, on time, every day.
All children of compulsory school age must attend school regularly. Missing school, even occasionally, can have a significant and lasting impact on your child’s learning.
The school day
When to be here and what to expect
Your child is required to attend school for 190 days each year. The school day runs from 8.30am to 3.00pm. Arriving on time means your child is settled, ready and not missing the start of lessons.
If your child needs to leave school during the day for any reason, please. arrange to collect them from the office by giving us a call to let us know. No child will be permitted to leave school during session time unless accompanied by a parent or authorised adult.
If your child is absent, please contact the school office as early as possible on the first morning and each subsequent day of absence. Unexplained absences will be followed up by the school.
8.30am
School opens
3.00pm
School closes
32.5 hrs
Per week in school
190 days
Required each year
Starting the day right
Book and a Bagel — every morning at 8.30am
Every morning at 8.30am we welcome children into school with our Book and a Bagel provision. Available across all year groups, children come in, settle down with a book and enjoy a bagel to start the day — calm, nourished and ready to learn.
This provision is supported by the Magic Breakfast Programme. A good breakfast makes a real difference to concentration, behaviour and readiness to learn — and arriving at 8.30am means your child never misses it.
All our children also have access to free fruit daily.
Why it matters
What absence really means for your child
½ day
missed per week
= 19 days lost across the year — the equivalent of nearly four school weeks
90%
attendance
= a child is missing one day every two weeks — classified as persistently absent
95%+
attendance
= our target for every child — giving them the best possible chance to learn and thrive
Absence & holidays
When absence may be authorised
We understand that illness happens and that exceptional circumstances arise. Absence may be authorised in the following circumstances:
Illness — please contact the school office on the first morning and each subsequent day your child is absent.
Medical or dental appointments — where possible, please arrange these outside of school hours. Where this is not possible, contact the office in advance.
Other specific circumstances — which should be discussed with the Head Teacher in advance. These are assessed on an individual basis.
Any absence not covered by the above will be recorded as unauthorised. Holidays taken during term time will not be authorised. Parents may be issued with a Penalty Notice by the Local Authority for unauthorised absence.
Reporting an absence
Call the school office before 9.00am on each day of absence.
Our policy
Attendance Policy
Our full Attendance Policy sets out in detail how we monitor attendance, how we work with families when attendance is a concern, and what happens when absence is persistent or unauthorised. It is reviewed annually and is available to download below.
Documents – Attendance
| Attendance Policies & Documents | Download |
| OC1st Attendance Policy | Download |
Need support with attendance?
If your family is facing difficulties that are affecting your child’s attendance — whether practical, health-related or otherwise — please speak with us. Our Vulnerable Pupil Support Team is here to help, not to judge.
“Coming to school every day gives your child the best possible start — and we are here to make that as easy as possible.”