School Absence and attendance

Our school offers the full 32.5 hours of learning each week, and we thank families for supporting strong attendance so every child can make the most of their time in school through consistent routines and full‑week engagement.

Times of our school day are as listed 

Our attendance target for this year is 96.5%

Knypersley CFLP Attendance Policy 2026-27

At Knypersley First School we are committed to working together to ensure all pupils receive the best education possible and to enable them to make progress and do as well as they can. For this to happen, pupils need to be in school to access the valuable teaching and learning opportunities.

Promoting excellent attendance is the responsibility of the whole school community. The school will promote the importance of good attendance through the curriculum and personal/social opportunities.

Good attendance by pupils will be recognised appropriately. All pupils should be at school, on time, every day the school is open, unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable.

We will ensure that parents are aware of attendance matters and work with them to ensure good attendance and punctuality. To support the school in our commitment to improve school attendance and punctuality, we have employed an Attendance Officer within the Trust, who will provide advice and guidance to the school, parents, and pupils.

Pupils are sometimes reluctant to attend school. Any problems that arise with attendance are best resolved between the school, the parents, and the pupil. If a pupil is reluctant to attend, it is never better to cover up their absence or to give in to pressure to excuse them from attending. This gives the impression that attendance and education does not matter and may make things worse. Permitting absence from school without a good reason is an offence by the parent.

Rewarding good school attendance

Our school celebrates and rewards good and improving attendance by:

  • Sharing attendance on our school newsletter
  • Awarding the best class attendance awards
  • Phone calls home
  • Post cards home

Late procedures

Parents are requested to contact the main office if their child is going to be late and provide a reason for lateness.

If lateness is a cause for concern, the following procedures will be followed.

  1. Parents will receive a letter informing of the concern.
  2. If no improvement, the Attendance Officer will contact parents to further discuss and offer support and advice to improve punctuality.
  3. If still no improvement, parents and pupils will be invited to a meeting with the Attendance Officer to discuss the reasons for lateness and to offer support. Referrals to wider support services may be offered if needed. The discussion held will be documented by the Attendance Officer and an action plan to improve school attendance will be devised with parents and the pupil during the meeting and a review date set if needed.
  4. If no improvement is seen after the meeting has taken place, the school may follow the Staffordshire Code of Conduct for issuing penalty notices for persistent lateness.

 

Changes to Penalty Notices for Leave in Term Time

Letter to schools regarding the Penalty Notice changes

Requesting Leave During Term Time

We strongly encourage families to take holidays during school breaks wherever possible, as term-time absence can impact a child’s learning and progress.

Any request for leave during term time must be submitted in advance using the form below (available from the School Office). Requests will be considered in line with the school’s attendance policy and current guidance, and should not be assumed to be authorised.

Please complete the form below (paper copies available on request) and return it to the School Office. You will then receive a letter notifying you of the decision. Please wait for written confirmation before making any non-refundable travel bookings.

Request-for-Leave-of-Absence-2026-Appendix-B-1

Raising Heroes Campaign – Staffordshire County Council 

Here at Knypersley First School we are proud to be taking part in with Little Heroes Campaign!

Please see the below video for more information regarding the Raising Heroes Campaign within schools across Staffordshire.

Click on the imagine below to access the Helpful Heroes parents’ guide aimed to support children to manage their worries about attending school.