Attendance

At Stoneraise School, our motto is ‘living and learning together to care for each other and our world.’ We believe that for children to truly thrive and feel part of our community, regular attendance is vital. Our curriculum is built on rich experiences—from collaborative music projects and competitive PE to exploring our beautiful outdoor environment. When a child is absent, they don’t just miss a lesson; they miss the chance to grow alongside their peers and contribute to our school family. Research shows that pupils with high attendance are not only more successful academically but also develop stronger social bonds and a greater sense of belonging.

Our Expectations

We aim for every child to achieve at least 96% attendance. While we understand that illness is sometimes unavoidable, even small amounts of time away can add up. For example, 90% attendance might sound positive, but it actually means a child misses 19 days of school—nearly four weeks of learning—every year. We ask that all families support their child’s education by:

Ensuring your child arrives punctually for the start of the school day.
Arranging medical and dental appointments outside of school hours whenever possible.
Informing the school office by 9:00 am on the first day of any absence.

Working Together: Recent Government Changes

In line with the DfE’s 2024 statutory guidance, ‘Working together to improve school attendance,’ there is now a national focus on a ‘support first’ approach. We are committed to working in partnership with our families to remove any barriers to attendance before they become a concern.

However, parents should be aware of the new National Framework for Penalty Notices introduced in August 2024. This framework standardises fines across England:

Fines: The first penalty notice for an unauthorised absence (such as a term-time holiday) is now £80 per parent, per child (if paid within 21 days), rising to £160.
The 10-Session Rule: Schools are now required to consider a fine if a child misses 10 sessions (5 days) of school for unauthorised reasons within a rolling 10-week period.
Second Offences: If a second fine is issued to the same parent for the same child within a 3-year period, it is automatically charged at the higher rate of £160.

Our priority remains supporting our children to be in school, happy and learning. If you are experiencing any difficulties with school attendance, please do reach out to us early so we can support you.

At Stoneraise School we feel strongly about the importance of good attendance. Often, this is reported in % form which can be misinterpreted. Below is an example of what they mean in real terms.

Further information can be found in our Attendance Policy on the Policies page of our website.: