Attendance

At St Thomas More we believe that regular attendance is essential for every child to achieve their full potential. Every school day matters, and consistent attendance supports pupils not only in their academic progress but also in their friendships, confidence and wider development.

Our school expectation is that all pupils achieve at least 96% attendance across the school year. This means being in school, on time, every day wherever possible.

We monitor attendance regularly and will contact families where attendance falls below our expected level. Where needed, we will work together with parents and carers to identify any barriers to attendance and provide appropriate support.

Illness and Appointments

All student absences should be reported before 9AM by contacting the school on 01733 566005 option 1 stating your child's name, class and reason for absence. Alternatively you can email office@st-thomasmoreprimary.com to report student absences. If you are unsure if your child can attend with specific symptoms, please contact the school office directly or refer to our attendance help sheet.

All appointments should be booked outside of school time where possible. In the event that you have an appointment for your child, please contact school in advance to advise and provide an appointment card, text or email.

Leave of absence

All schools by law must follow the Department for Education’s statutory guidance relating to school attendance. They must use the appropriate national attendance or absence code, and follow the criteria set out within the guidance.

The statutory guidance states:

A leave of absence must not be granted unless there are exceptional circumstances and must be requested in advance.
A leave of absence must be requested in advance by a parent who the pupil normally lives with.
Schools must judge each application individually, considering the specific facts and circumstances and relevant background context behind each request.

Please contact the school office to discuss any leave of absence requests before submitting the form and finalising any travel plans.