Attendance

Every Day Counts

At Drayton Park School, we believe that excellent attendance is the foundation of successful learning. Every lesson matters,
and children who attend school regularly make better academic progress, develop stronger friendships, build confidence and establish positive routines for life.

Even small amounts of absence can have a significant impact on a child’s education. Missing school means missing valuable learning opportunities that cannot always be fully replaced.

How much learning is lost?

Over the course of a child’s primary education, attendance of 90% could result in almost half a year of learning being missed.

Our aim is for every child to achieve at least 95% attendance, although we encourage families to strive for 100% whenever possible.

Reporting Your Child’s Absence

If your child is unable to attend school, please telephone the school before 9:00am on each day they are absent.

If we have not been informed of the reason for your child’s absence, our safeguarding procedures require us to contact you. As part of our Every Day Response, we will:

• Contact parents or carers on the first day of unexplained absence.
• Continue to make contact on each day of absence until a reason is provided.
• Carry out a home visit if a child has been absent for three consecutive days and we have been unable to establish appropriate contact.

These procedures help us ensure every child is safe and supported.

Is My Child Well Enough for School?

If you are unsure whether your child should attend school,please contact us for advice.

Many common childhood illnesses, such as coughs, colds or minor sore throats, do not usually require children to stay at home. We would normally advise appropriate medication (such as paracetamol where suitable), plenty of fluids and attendance at school.

If your child becomes too unwell during the school day, we will always contact you to arrange collection.

Leave of Absence During Term Time

The Government’s expectation is that holidays should be taken during the school holidays.

All holidays taken during term time will be recorded as unauthorised absence.

Requests for leave of absence will only be considered in exceptional circumstances, for example:

• Close family funerals
• Significant family events where exceptional circumstances apply

Each request is considered individually and takes into account your child’s attendance record.

Penalty Notices

Under the Milton Keynes Code of Conduct and current national guidance:

• A Penalty Notice may be issued where a child has 10 unauthorised sessions (5 school days) of absence.
• From August 2024, the national penalty is:
  • £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days.
  • £160 per parent, per child if paid within 28 days.
• If a second Penalty Notice is issued for the same child within a three-year period, it will automatically be charged at £160.

New Attendance System

From September 2026, Drayton Park School will ben introducing A Star Attendance as our new platform for managing attendance across the school.

This system will help us work even more closely with families to promote excellent attendance, improve communication and provide clearer information about attendance patterns.

Further information about A Star Attendance and how it will support parents and carers will be shared before the start of the new academic year.

Working Together

We know that good attendance is achieved through strong partnerships between home and school. If you are experiencing difficulties that may affect your child’s attendance, please contact us as early as possible. We are here to help and will work with you to identify appropriate support wherever possible.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s attendance, please contact:

• Attendance Officer: Mr Roberts
• Attendance Champion: Mr Riggett-Roderick

Together, we can ensure every child has the best possibleopportunity to learn, achieve and thrive.