Every Minute Counts at Thorn Primary School!
A Guide for Parents on Attendance and Punctuality
At Thorn Primary School, we want every child to "dream big, explore their curiosity, and grow with confidence". To reach their full potential, children need to be in school, on time, every single day.
Why Attendance Matters
Good attendance (96% or above) isn't just about school rules—it’s about your child’s future.
Learning: Missing just two days a month means a child misses 10% of the school year.
Friendships: Regular attendance helps children build stable friendship groups.
Confidence: When children miss lessons, they can feel "lost" when they return. This can lead to a lack of confidence and subsequently impact their progress
Persistent Absentees
When a pupil’s attendance falls below 96% we monitor their attendance. This means that we keep an eye on their absences, reasons for absence and if any patterns are forming. We may contact you to work out what the barriers are, to see if there is any way we can support you to improve your child’s attendance, or we may write to you to let you know of the next steps as a result of their attendance percentage. In some cases we may offer an attendance contract or ask you to come into school for a meeting. If a pupils attendance falls to 90% or below then they become classed as a “persistent absentee”. Persistent absentees are closely monitored by the School Attendance Support Team and may be issued with a “notice to improve” or fixed penalty notice.
Punctuality: Start the Day Right
Our school day starts promptly at 8:45 am.
8:40 am: Doors open and registration begins
8:45 am: Registration ends (Pupils are marked with an L Code (Late) between 8:45am-9:30am
9:30 am: Registration closes. (Pupils arriving after 9:30am will be marked with a U Code (unauthorised late) for the session.
If a pupil arrives after 9:30am they are marked with U Code. This stands for “Unauthorised Late”. The session is marked as unauthorised and will be taken into consideration when the local authority are considering fixed penalty notices or notices to improve.
What to do if your child is ill
We understand that children sometimes get sick or have exceptional reasons for being absent. The NHS has a helpful guide to help you decide if your child is too ill for school. If your child is too unwell to attend:
1. Call us: Contact the school office on 01706 874027 before registration.
2. Provide a reason: Please give a specific reason for the absence.
3. Medical Appointments: Please try to book these outside of school hours. If unavoidable, provide an appointment card to the office. If proof cannot be provided the session will remain unauthorised.
Authorised and Unauthorised Absence
In every instance it is the Headteacher who determines whether an absence is recorded as authorised or unauthorised. This decision is made based on information provided by parents/carers. However, because the register is a legal document, the Headteacher has responsibility to ensure that it is completed accurately and in accordance with the legislation. For this reason it is not sufficient for an absence to be recorded as authorised based entirely on information provided by parents/carers. Therefore, there may be occasions when it will be necessary for parents to provide evidence of reasons for absence before authorisation is granted. For example, in the case of absence due to illness or medical appointment, evidence may be requested in the form of: sight of a prescription, prescribed medication, a medical appointment card or similar.
What to do if your child is going on holiday
It is important that you consider how a holiday during term-time can impact your child’s education.
All requests for leave in term time must be submitted by completing a holiday form (these can be obtained from the school office). Headteachers do not have authority to approve holidays without exceptional circumstances. If a pupil is absent for 10 sessions (5 school days) across a 10 week rolling period then we must request that the Local Authority consider issuing you with a Penalty Notice. The Local Authority may decide to either issue a penalty notice or prosecute you. Penalty notices are currently charged at £160 per parent, per child. Failure to pay a penalty notice can result in prosecution and a criminal record.
From August 2024, if you have previously received two penalty notices for the same offence within a rolling 3-year period, the Local Authority cannot by law issue a further penalty notice and will therefore consider prosecution.
As per the statutory guidance from the Government, we must request that the Local Authority consider issuing you with a Penalty Notice. The Local Authority may decide to either issue a penalty notice or prosecute you. Penalty notices are currently charged at £160 per parent, per child. Failure to pay a penalty notice can result in prosecution and a criminal record.
From August 2024, if you have previously received two penalty notices for the same offence within a rolling 3-year period, the Local Authority cannot by law issue a further penalty notice and will therefore consider prosecution.
From 01/01/2025, the following rules apply:
1. Unauthorised leave less than 15 school days: penalty notice issued
2. Unauthorised leave of 15 school days or more: the Local Authority will review any requests for penalty notices and may prosecute parents and not offer the opportunity to pay a penalty notice fine instead. More information on absences and fixed penalty notices can be found here:
https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/children-education-families/schools/absence-from-school/
Encouragement and Rewards
At Thorn Primary School we encourage good attendance and punctuality in a number of ways.
Class Attendance Race:
We monitor attendance by class over the course of each week. In our Friday assembly all classes with over 96% attendance take a step up the attendance ladder.
Those with 96% attendance in the winning class at the end of term win a prize!
Previous winners have chosen to have a Pizza Party, Movie Afternoon and Teddy Bears Picnic to give an example.
100% Attendance Awards - Bronze, Silver and Gold Prizes:
At the end of each term we hold an attendance assembly.
Pupils with 100% attendance at the end of Autumn Term can choose to take home a bronze prize or they can choose to bank their bronze prize until the next term in the hope of accruing a silver prize. If a pupil chooses to bank their prize twice and they get 100% attendance for the whole academic year, they receive a Gold prize at the end of the Summer Term.
If a pupil doesn’t reach 100% attendance in the first (or second) term, they can still aim to get 100% attendance in the next term to earn a bronze prize. Equally, if they bank a bronze prize and aim to achieve a silver but don’t quite reach it, they will still receive their bronze prize earned in the previous term.
Prizes range from goodie bags, football cards, fidget toys, toy figures and stationary, up to Lego sets, board games and sports toys.
Don’t be Late, Be Great!
Our “Don't be Late, be Great” initiative runs multiple times throughout the year. This gives us an opportunity to motivate pupils that arrive late on a regular basis with the chance to win a prize. It also gives us the opportunity to equally reward pupils that have good punctuality all of the time.
Whilst we do appreciate that arriving late on the odd occasion is sometimes unavoidable, this initiative is to encourage pupils that are regularly late to school, to encourage them to think about the importance of timekeeping and being organised. We encourage pupils to organise themselves as much as they are able to. Whilst younger pupils may not walk by themselves to school without an adult, they can help parents to set off earlier if they are thinking about their own belongings and responsibilities. We encourage pupils to become independent by dressing themselves, putting on (and tying) their shoes and collecting their belongings (book bags, lunch bags etc).
How You Can Help
Set a regular bedtime to help them get enough sleep
Create a calm evening and morning routine
Make sure they attend school every day unless there’s a valid reason
Get them to school on time each morning to keep structure and routine
Book medical appointments outside school hours when possible
Let us know if your child is too unwell to attend each morning of absence by calling 01706874027 (lines open at 8:30am).
Take holidays during school breaks—not term time
Talk positively about school and show interest in their day
Attend parents’ evenings and school events
Praise their efforts and achievements
Work with us to support any behavioural or emotional challenges
Reach out early if you have any concerns—we’re here to help
We’re really looking forward to working with you to support your child’s journey through school.
We are here to help!
If you are struggling to get your child to school for any reason, please talk to us. We can offer support or signpost you to relevant services.