Moments Matter, Attendance Counts

In January, the Government launched a new campaign to combat poor school attendance called Moments Matter, Attendance Counts.

The link between attendance and attainment is clear:

  • In 2018/19, just 40% of persistently absent (PA) children in KS2 achieved expected KS2 standards, compared with 84% of pupils who were regular attenders.

But attendance is important for more than just attainment:

  • Regular school attendance can facilitate positive peer relationships, which is a protective factor for mental health and wellbeing.

Our Lady of Peace Catholic Primary and Nursery School has always seen attendance as important and we firmly believe that attending regularly for all our children is so important for lots of different reasons.

The NHS and the Chief Medical Officer say it is usually appropriate for parents and carers to send their children to school with mild respiratory illnesses, including general cold symptoms like a minor cough, runny nose or sore throat. If you are unsure if your child is too ill for school, please follow the link below and use the NHS guidelines:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

Parents can also support their children’s education and the school by taking holidays and visiting family abroad during the holidays.  There are 175 days a year that pupils do not have to attend school and these should be used for these purposes. From the first day of term to the last, the small moments in a school day make a real difference to your child, so please ensure your child attends school regularly.

If you would like to discuss your child’s attendance and ways the school could support you, please contact Mrs O’Sullivan, Attendance Officer at attendance@olopprimary.co.uk

Thank you for your support in helping our pupils to reach their potential this term.