Attendance at Elmridge

At Elmridge Primary School, we believe that “Every Day Counts. Every Minute Matters.” Our attendance vision guides everything we do: we want every child to be safe, engaged, and ready to learn, and we work in partnership with families to support excellent attendance.

A huge thank you to all our families who take attendance and punctuality seriously. Your support in getting your child to school on time every day ensures they can make the most of every learning opportunity.

Key times:

• Breakfast Club opens weekdays from 7:30am.
• School doors open at 8:40am, and lessons begin promptly at 8:50am.

Our whole school attendance target is 97%, reflecting our commitment to consistent, high-quality learning for all children.

Every child has the right to attend school every day. Frequent absence or irregular attendance can affect both learning and emotional development. At Elmridge Primary School, everyone has a role to play in helping children attend regularly and on time.

We aim to achieve excellent attendance through:

• Clear routines and daily monitoring.
• Positive recognition, praise, and rewards for good attendance.
• Support and guidance for families where barriers to attendance exist.
• Working together with pupils, staff, and parents to ensure every child can thrive.

By working together, we can create a school where every day counts, learning is maximised, and children develop the best possible foundations for their future.

Holidays in Term Time

At Elmridge Primary School, we do not authorise holidays during term time.

Term-time holidays are one of the main reasons for pupil absence, and taking children out of school for holidays can have a significant impact on their learning and social development. Contrary to popular belief, there is no entitlement to ten days off school for family holidays. The law allows time off only in exceptional circumstances, and headteachers have agreed that holidays will only be authorised if exceptional circumstances can be clearly demonstrated.

When children are taken out of school during term time, it is much harder for them to catch up on missed lessons and school experiences. We understand the economic pressures families face and the challenges of holiday costs during school breaks, but a child’s education cannot be compromised due to high holiday prices.

We strongly encourage all parents and carers to plan family holidays during the 175 days of the year when school is not in session. This ensures that every child has an equal opportunity to benefit from the rich educational and social experiences Elmridge Primary School provides.

From August 2024, the Department for Education (DfE) updated national guidance, Working Together to Improve School Attendance, which is statutory. In line with this guidance, the Trafford School Attendance Service may issue fixed penalty notices for unauthorised term-time absences.

We thank parents and carers for working with us to ensure that every child attends school consistently, so they can achieve their full potential.

Impact of Poor Attendance

Frequent absence can add up to a significant amount of lost learning and may seriously disadvantage your child later in life. At Elmridge Primary School, if your child’s attendance becomes a concern, we will contact you to discuss how we can work together to provide support.

It is important to understand that continued absence, whether authorised or unauthorised, represents lost time in the classroom and missed learning opportunities. If families do not work with the school to improve attendance, the school and the Local Authority may take legal action.

We are committed to working with all parents and carers to ensure that every child can benefit fully from their education.

Struggling with school attendance? You’re not alone.

For some children, getting into school each day can sometimes feel difficult. This may be due to worries, friendship concerns, changes in routine, health needs, tiredness, or uncertainty about what the day might bring.

At Elmridge Primary School, we understand that every child’s situation is different. We want to support families by offering practical advice, guidance on how to work with school, and information about where additional support can be found if needed.

With the right support, routines, and adjustments, attendance can improve. We believe that by working together with families, we can help children feel confident, supported, and ready to learn. Sometimes small steps and open communication can make a big difference.

Things to consider if you are struggling to get your child to go to school