Attendance

Every day matters at The Stonebridge School

At The Stonebridge School, we want every child to feel that they belong, that they matter and that they are an important part of our school community.

Coming to school every day gives children opportunities to learn, build friendships, develop confidence and take part fully in school life.

We know that there can sometimes be reasons why coming to school is difficult. If your child is finding attendance or punctuality difficult, please talk to us early. We will listen, seek to understand what is happening and work with you and your child to find ways to help.

Arriving at school on time

Being on time helps children to have a calm and positive start to the day, settle with their friends and be ready to learn.

8:35am – gates open
8:50am – gates close
8:55am – morning register closes

Children should arrive between 8:35am and 8:50am.

If your child arrives after the gates have closed, they will need to follow our late-arrival procedure. Children arriving after 8:55am will be recorded as arriving after the register has closed.

Regular lateness can mean missing important routines and learning at the beginning of the day. If getting to school on time is becoming difficult, please speak to us. We are here to help.

If your child is absent

If your child is unable to attend school, please telephone us by 8:55am on 020 8965 6965.

Please call us on the first day of absence and on each following day unless another arrangement has been agreed with the school.

Please tell us:

- your child's name and class
- the reason they are absent
- when you expect them to return, if known

If your child is expected at school and we have not heard from you, we will contact you as part of our attendance and safeguarding procedures.

Knowing where our children are is an important part of keeping them safe.

Why does attendance matter?

Every day at school matters.

Regular attendance helps children to:

- learn and make progress
- build and maintain friendships
- feel part of their class and school community
- develop confidence, independence and positive routines
- enjoy the wider opportunities and experiences of school life

Attendance is not simply about achieving a percentage. When children miss school, they can miss learning, friendships, experiences and opportunities that are not always easy to recreate.

There is also a clear relationship between attendance and achievement.

Department for Education research published in 2025 found that Year 6 pupils with 95–100% attendance were 1.3 times more likely to achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and maths than similar pupils attending 90–95% of the time, and 1.8 times more likely than similar pupils attending 85–90% of the time.

The research also found that missing 10 days of school in Year 6 was associated with around a 25% reduction in the likelihood of reaching the expected standard.

This is why every day really does matter.

Is my child too ill for school?

We know that children become unwell and there will be times when your child needs to stay at home. We also know that it can sometimes be difficult to decide whether your child is well enough to come to school.

The NHS guidance ‘Is my child too ill for school?’ provides helpful advice about common childhood illnesses and whether children should attend school.

If you are unsure, please speak to us.

If your child has an ongoing physical or mental health need that is affecting their attendance, please let us know. We will work with you, your child and other professionals, where appropriate, to understand their needs and consider what support or reasonable adjustments may help.

Medical and dental appointments

Wherever possible, please arrange routine medical and dental appointments outside school hours.

We understand that this is not always possible, particularly for hospital or specialist appointments.

If your child needs to attend an appointment during the school day, please let us know in advance and provide evidence of the appointment if requested.

Where possible, children should come to school before their appointment and return afterwards so that they miss as little of their school day as possible.

Holidays and leave during term time

Parents and carers should not expect holidays during term time to be authorised.

If you need to request any leave of absence during term time, whether your child will be travelling abroad or remaining in the UK, you must complete our online Leave of Absence Request Form in advance.

Complete the online Leave of Absence Request Form

Leave can only be granted by the school in accordance with the School Attendance Regulations. If you believe there are exceptional circumstances, please provide full details on the form so that your request can be considered.

Please complete the form and wait for the school's decision before making travel arrangements. Submitting a request does not mean that the absence has been authorised.

Unauthorised absence, including unauthorised term-time leave, may result in a referral to the Brent School Attendance Service and may lead to a penalty notice or other legal intervention in line with national legislation and Brent Council procedures.

Please see our Attendance Policy for full details.

If we are concerned about attendance

We monitor attendance carefully so that we can identify concerns early and offer support.

If your child's attendance begins to fall, our first step will be to talk with you and understand what is happening. We will listen to you and your child, explore any barriers to attendance and work together to agree what may help.

Support might include practical changes, reasonable adjustments, an attendance support plan or working with other professionals and services, including the Brent School Attendance Service where appropriate.

Nationally, a child is considered persistently absent when they miss 10% or more of the school sessions available to them. We do not wait until a child reaches this point before offering help.

Where appropriate support has not been successful, has not been engaged with, or is not appropriate, formal or legal intervention may need to be considered in line with statutory guidance.

We are here to help

Attendance can sometimes be affected by SEND or additional needs, physical or mental health, anxiety, friendships, bereavement, family circumstances, housing difficulties or challenges with morning routines.

Every child and family is different. We will listen, seek to understand your child's individual circumstances and consider appropriate support and reasonable adjustments.

Please talk to us early if something is making it difficult for your child to attend regularly or arrive on time. You do not need to wait until attendance has become a serious concern before asking for help.

Call the School Office on 020 8965 6965 and ask to speak with Pastoral Lead Tracy Halpin, Headteacher Kate Pelazza or your child's class teacher.

We are here to listen and work with you.

Further information

Our approach to attendance reflects current Department for Education statutory guidance and research and our responsibilities as a maintained school.

You can find further information below:

The Stonebridge School Attendance Policy
The Stonebridge School Leave of Absence Request Form
Department for Education – Working Together to Improve School Attendance
Department for Education – The Link Between Attendance and Attainment in an Assessment Year
GOV.UK – School Attendance and Absence
NHS – Is My Child Too Ill for School?
Brent Council – School Attendance and Absence