Attendance and Punctuality

This week, we talked to the children about the importance of attendance and punctuality.

Here are some of the questions we asked them and the answers they gave us:

“What does attendance mean?”

“Attendance means we come to school every day and are on time”

“When you are in school, what are some of the things you do?”

“We learn new things”

“We see our friends”

“We join in fun activities”

“We get better at reading, writing and maths”

The children really impressed us with their understanding of how these things will help them to become successful teenagers and grown-ups.

We reminded the children that every day you come to school is like adding another brick to your learning wall.  If you miss days, the wall has gaps.  You might start to feel confused or left behind.

If you are ill, it is right to stay at home. When you feel better, coming back every day helps you catch up.

We discussed with the children the things to do to make sure you attend school as many days as possible – things like:

• get a good night’s sleep
• not too much screen time in the evening
• have an alarm clock to help you get up

Everyone has an attendance percentage which shows how many days you come to school. 

It tells us how many days you are here – not how clever you are. 

100% attendance means you didn’t miss any school days.