Persistent Absence
Monday 9th February 2026
Dear Parents and Carers,
RE: Persistent Absence
We are writing to remind families of the importance of regular school attendance and to explain what is meant by persistent absence.
A child is classed as being persistently absent if their attendance falls below 90%. This means missing around one day of school every two weeks. Over the course of a school year, this adds up to a significant amount of lost learning time and can have a serious impact on a child’s progress, confidence and wellbeing.
We understand that there are times when children may be unwell or when families experience difficulties. Our aim is always to work in partnership with parents and carers to support good attendance and remove any barriers that may be preventing a child from coming to school regularly.
If a child’s attendance falls below 90% and does not improve, the school may take the following actions:
- Arrange meetings with parents or carers to discuss attendance concerns and offer support
- Put an attendance support plan in place to help improve attendance
- Monitor attendance more closely over a set period of time
- Refer the matter to the Local Authority or Education Welfare Service for further support
- In some cases, where attendance does not improve and no valid reasons are provided, legal action will be taken, which could include a penalty notice or prosecution.
Please be assured that these steps are taken only after efforts have been made to support families and encourage improvement.
We kindly ask all parents and carers to:
- Ensure children attend school every day unless they are genuinely too unwell
- Avoid taking holidays during term time
- Inform the school promptly if your child is absent and provide a reason
If you are experiencing any difficulties that are affecting your child’s attendance, please contact the school office so that we can offer help and guidance.
Thank you for your continued support in helping us ensure that every child has the best possible opportunity to succeed.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Tim O’Brien
Headteacher
