Every Day Counts – Why Attendance Matters

At St Luke's school, we recognise the importance of great attendance. Every day your child attends school, they have the opportunity to learn the carefully planned curriculum we have set out for them. When children miss school, they miss out on essential learning, friendships, and routines that help them thrive.

Our day-to-day processes for managing attendance can be found here.

Why does attendance matter so much?

- Pupils with 95–100% attendance in primary school are 30% more likely to meet expected standards in reading, writing and maths than those attending 90–95%. (If your child is absent for 10 days in an academic year the maximum attendance they can achieve is 95% for the year).

- Persistent absence (missing 20 or more days) is linked to lower academic achievement and can impact negatively on future earnings by up to £10,000 by the age of 28.

How can parents help their children at primary school?

Unlike secondary school, primary school children often rely on their parents to get them to school on time. So parents play a crucial role in ensuring your child/ren attend school, on time, on a daily basis.

Every day in school counts. Regular attendance helps your child:

- Keep up with learning and make good progress.

- Build strong friendships and feel part of the school community.

- Develop confidence and resilience for the future.

If you are experiencing any difficulties that make attendance challenging, please contact us. We are here to work with you to ensure your child has the best possible chance to succeed.

Communication

 We understand that, on occasions, children will become ill or need to attend a medical appointment. It is important that if your child cannot attend School, direct contact is made with the School office on the first day of absence by the start of school. If contact is not made the School will make direct contact with parents/carers. If direct contact cannot be made, the matter may be referred to the Education Welfare Office. This is to ensure that all children, absent from School, are accounted for and safe. As the mornings can be extremely busy in school we have a telephone system which allows you to leave a message to report your child absent.

Click here to read the Government of Jersey attendance policy. 

Click here to read the School attendance policy.

REQUEST ABSENCE

Please complete the 'Leave Request' form  to request a student's absence.  Alternatively you can  submit a paper copy of this form available from the school office.

It is ESC policy that children should attend school unless they are unwell or if the absence is unavoidable through circumstances beyond the family’s control. Current guidance states that leave will not be granted unless there are exceptional circumstances which might justify authorisation. In order to obtain permission parents are reminded that:

1. Adequate notice is required for applications to be processed.
2. Holiday bookings should not be confirmed prior to gaining approval.
3. All applications should be made in writing, on the form above, to the Headteacher.

LEAVE DURING TERM TIME

The Education Department does not support (holiday) leave during term time.

You do not have the automatic right to withdraw your child from school. You must request permission in advance from your school's head teacher. You must make a strong case to justify your head teacher's decision to allow your child to be away from school during term time.

Your child's absence from school will disrupt the continuity of their learning.

Schools are required to report attendance figures which are carefully monitored. A child’s absence during term time can seriously disrupt their continuity of learning with the consequent risk of underachievement. You will therefore understand the careful consideration we need to give these requests.

Education Welfare Officer (EWO)

My name is Vicki Frederick  and I am the Education Welfare Officer for St Luke School. I am part of the Education Welfare Team based at the Education Department. My role is to support and work with children, young people and families alongside the school to promote good attendance and punctuality.  When I’m not working I enjoy walking, cycling and spending time with my family.