Roundwood Primary School

Attendance

The Importance of Good School Attendance

At Roundwood school, we want every child to have the very best chance of success. One of the most important ways families can support learning is by ensuring children attend school regularly.

The school year has 190 learning days. Even small amounts of absence add up quickly, and the impact on learning can be significant.

What does attendance really mean in days?

100% Attendance – 0 days missed
Children with full attendance have the best chance of success and make the most progress.
95% Attendance – 10 days missed
This might not sound like much, but it is two weeks of learning lost.
90% Attendance – 19 days missed
That’s almost 4 weeks of school missed. Over five years, this adds up to half a school year of learning lost.
85% Attendance – 29 days missed
Missing over half a term leads to a much lower chance of success.
80% Attendance – 38 days missed
- More than 7 weeks missed
- This has a serious impact on learning.
75% Attendance – 47 days missed
Nearly a quarter of the year missed, which significantly reduces a child’s future life chances.

Why every day matters

Each school day introduces new learning. Children who miss lessons can find it harder to keep up, and absence can affect confidence, friendships, and progress across the curriculum.

Holidays in term time

The image highlights that a 2-week holiday during term time means that the highest attendance a child can achieve that year is 94.7%. Even one short holiday has a big impact.

Working together

We understand that children may need to miss school occasionally due to illness, but we ask all families to:

Book appointments outside school hours wherever possible
Avoid term-time holidays
Keep us informed about any difficulties affecting attendance

By working together, we can ensure that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Every school day counts—every lesson matters.

Take a look at our Attendance leaflet which explains in depth the importance of good attendance for your child.

attendance-leaflet-for-families.docx
Leave of Absence request
If you need to request that your child is absent from school during term time, you must complete the Leave of Absence Request Form below. This form should be used when you believe there are exceptional circumstances that require your child to be absent from school during term time. As outlined in our Attendance Policy, leave can only be authorised in rare, significant, unavoidable and short circumstances, and requests must be made in advance to the Headteacher with full details and supporting evidence. Examples may include a once-in-a-lifetime event that cannot be arranged outside of school holidays or other genuinely exceptional situations. Holidays, leisure trips or extended visits abroad will not be authorised. Parents are legally responsible for ensuring their child attends school regularly, and unauthorised absence may result in a Penalty Notice or further legal action. We strongly encourage families to carefully consider the impact of any absence on their child’s learning before submitting a request.
1. school-leave of absence-request Feb 2026
  
  DOCX File
Penalty Notices
See below how school fines are applied for term-time holidays and irregular attendance including lateness.
1. parent-factsheet-on-penalty-notices-for-school-attendance
  
  DOCX File