Attendance
Attendance at Oak Farm
Attendance and Punctuality at Oak Farm Primary School
Every Day Matters. Every Child Matters.
At Oak Farm Primary School, we believe that every day in school matters. Regular attendance and punctuality are essential not only for academic achievement, but also for children's friendships, confidence, emotional wellbeing and sense of belonging.
Every day provides opportunities to learn, grow, build relationships and participate in the wider life of our school. Even a few missed days can quickly add up to valuable hours of lost learning.
Our approach is built on high expectations, positive relationships, early identification and meaningful support. We recognise that some families face challenges that can affect attendance and we are committed to working together to understand and overcome these barriers.
We believe that attendance is everyone's responsibility. Every interaction, every relationship and every member of our school community has a part to play in helping children feel safe, valued and ready to attend.
Find out more about our whole-school approach:
Attendance is everyone's responsibility.
Meet Our Attendance Team
Our dedicated Attendance Team works closely with families, teachers, pastoral staff and external agencies to promote positive attendance and provide support where needed.
Mrs Hunt, our Attendance Champion, leads our whole-school attendance strategy, supported by Miss Fisk, our Attendance Officer, who oversees daily attendance procedures and is the first point of contact for attendance-related enquiries.
We encourage parents and carers to contact us as early as possible if anything is making regular attendance or punctuality difficult.
For a helpful overview of our expectations, procedures, rewards and available support, please read our:
Our Graduated Approach to Attendance
We carefully monitor attendance and punctuality to identify emerging concerns and offer support at the earliest opportunity.
Our Six Steps to Monitoring Attendance provides a clear, graduated approach. This begins with communication and supportive conversations, progressing to meetings, agreed actions and, where necessary, involvement from the Local Authority Attendance Support Team.
Throughout this process, our priority is to work in partnership with families, understand individual circumstances and remove barriers to regular attendance, while meeting our statutory responsibilities.
Six Steps to Monitoring Attendance flowchart
We also have clear daily procedures for checking registers, following up unexplained absences and ensuring that children are safe. Where we cannot establish the reason for an absence, a home visit may be undertaken as part of our safeguarding responsibilities.
Daily absence identification procedures
Every Minute Matters – Arriving on Time
A positive start to the school day makes a real difference. Arriving on time allows children to settle calmly, reconnect with their friends and access learning from the very beginning.
Our school morning:
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8.30am: Gates open to children.
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8.40am: Classroom doors open for our soft start.
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8.50am: Classroom doors close and lessons begin.
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9.00am: Morning registers close.
Children arriving after 8.50am must enter through the School Office and be signed in by an adult. Arrivals after 9.00am are recorded as unauthorised lateness.
If your child is unable to attend school, please inform the School Office before 9.00am on each day of absence, providing a clear reason.
Routine medical and dental appointments should, wherever possible, be arranged outside school hours. Holidays should be taken during school holiday periods.
Celebrating Good Attendance
At Oak Farm, we believe in recognising and celebrating positive attendance, improvement and commitment.
Our attendance celebrations include weekly class trophies and attendance bears, individual raffles, certificates, stickers and termly prizes.
We also recognise that attendance can be more challenging for some children and families. We aim to celebrate individual progress and improvement alongside excellent attendance.
Flowchart of attendance rewards
Oak Farm's Attendance calendar
We are also proud of our Attendance Pupil Officers, Thrisha and Raahi, who help promote positive attendance across the school. They support our attendance displays, celebrate class achievements and act as enthusiastic role models for their peers.
Meet our attendance pupil officers
Is My Child Too Ill for School?
We understand that deciding whether your child is well enough to attend school can sometimes be difficult.
Many minor illnesses, including mild coughs, colds and sore throats, do not necessarily mean that children need to stay at home. However, some illnesses require a period of absence to protect the child and others.
The NHS provides helpful guidance about common childhood illnesses, including when children should remain at home and when they can safely return.
NHS – Is My Child Too Ill for School?
Working Together to Make Every Day Count
Above all, we want families to know that we are here to help.
Whether your child is experiencing anxiety, health difficulties, changes in family circumstances or challenges with morning routines, please talk to us. Early conversations allow us to listen, understand individual circumstances and explore appropriate support.
Our shared aim is simple: every child feels welcome, every child feels they belong, and every child has the opportunity to attend, thrive and achieve.
Together, we can make every school day count.