At Netherton Moss, high levels of attendance and good punctuality are amongst our most important priorities. Our target is for all children to reach 100% attendance annually. We recognise that this is a very challenging target and that sickness or illness can affect a child’s attendance, but every year we do have children who don't miss a minute of their time in school. While we understand that sometimes your child will need time off school, we can cope with coughs, colds and sneezes etc., so please send your child to school! We will ring you straight away if there is a problem. The NHS poster below contains some important advice about when and when not to send your child to school.

In line with Government and Local Authority guidance, we do not authorise holidays in term time unless there is an exceptional circumstance. All holiday requests have to be made to the Headteacher using the request form. Please see our attendance policy for more information regarding this.

Attendance

Netherton Moss Primary School works closely with children and parents in relation to attendance so that each child can achieve their full potential. By law, all children of compulsory school age (5 to 16) must receive a suitable full-time education. However, it is important to understand that when your child has a full-time place in Reception or a part-time place in Marigold Nursery, we expect them to attend every day that they are registered for. Nursery children are marked on the school register the same as every other child in the school, and we closely monitor their attendance.  For more information, you can download our attendance policy below.

Why Attendance Matters

Once your child is registered at school, you are legally responsible for making sure that they attend regularly. If your child fails to do so, you risk getting a penalty notice or being prosecuted. You also need to think about the negative impact upon the following:

• Their academic achievement and progress
• Their ability to develop positive friendships and social skills
• Their overall confidence and enjoyment of school life

How we can support you

We understand that there may be reasons why your child has been absent. If you are experiencing any difficulties, whether at home or in school, please let us know. Our team is here to support you and your child, and to work together to find solutions. If you would like to discuss your child’s attendance or need support, please contact the school office on 0151 525 5026

Attendance Monitoring

At Netherton Moss Primary, we monitor the attendance of every child in the school on a daily basis and, in partnership with our Education Welfare Officer, we will work with and support those children and their families who are not attending school without sufficient reason. 90% attendance sounds good, but as you can see below, it means that your child misses out on a significant amount of their education.

Our school target for the 2025/26 school year is 96%. Together we can achieve it!

Punctuality

Good timekeeping and punctuality are just as important in the education of your child as attendance.

Why punctuality matters

• Arriving on time ensures that your child is ready to learn from the very start of the day.
• Lateness will disrupt your child’s learning and the learning of others in the class.
• Children who arrive late take the attention of the teacher away from their role in the classroom of educating the children.
• Establishing good habits around punctuality sets a strong foundation for your child’s education and future.

How you can support us

• Please make every effort to ensure your child arrives on time at 8:45am (9:00am Nursery) each morning.
• If you find your child is arriving at school late on a regular basis, then please make every effort to adjust the timings and details of your morning routine and make the changes that are necessary to ensure your child arrives at school in good time each day.
• If you are experiencing any difficulties which make punctuality a challenge, please let us know – we are here to help and can offer support where needed.

Our school day

• The doors open at 8:40am to allow children time to settle in before lessons begin.
• Arriving before 8.45am, your child arrives in time to settle well and has the best start possible.
• School starts promptly at 8:45am.
• Children arriving after 8:45am are late, and they must enter school by the school office in order to receive their late mark and order their school lunch if needed.
• It is very important to realise that arriving after 9.15am when the register closes, means that your child’s attendance record will be logged as an unauthorised absence because the Department for Education considers a child to be absent for the morning session if they arrive after that time.
• School finishes at 3:15pm.

How we can support you

We understand that there may be reasons why your child is late for school. If you are experiencing any difficulties—whether at home or in school—please let us know. Our team is here to support you and your child, and to work together to find solutions. If you would like to discuss your child’s punctuality or need support, please contact the school office on 0151 525 5026

Punctuality Monitoring

Like attendance, we track punctuality in a very detailed and thorough manner. You will be informed of your child’s punctuality throughout the year at parent’s evenings. Just 5 minutes late doesn’t sound much but, as you can see below, it means that your child misses out on a significant amount of their education.

Our Attendance Team

We have a team of staff in school including our Parent Support Adviser (Helen Macgregor), Designated Safeguarding Lead and Attendance Champion (Lisa Withey), School Business Manger and Attendance Officer (Diane Jackson) and our Headteacher (David Hird). We work in partnership with our Local Authority Education Welfare Officer (Denise Steele). The Governing Body of the school takes a keen interest in attendance and punctuality and monitors the overall figures at a year group and whole school level. We have an attendance Governor (Hilary Lyall).

Attendance and Punctuality Rewards

At Netherton Moss Primary School we like to encourage and praise children who attend school regularly. Throughout the year, our staff work closely with families providing support to help overcome barriers in improving attendance. Throughout the year there are many opportunities for children to win many exciting prizes through celebrating good punctuality and attendance.

Look at what we do at Netherton Moss to help improve attendance:

• Weekly attendance and punctuality stickers in each class
• Junior class receives a trophy for best weekly attendance
• Infant class receives ‘Sam Bear’ for best weekly attendance
• Attendance board with reward for termly junior class and infant class winner
• Raffle for 100% attendance and punctuality (2 x £5 gift vouchers each week)
• Termly certificates for attendance of 98% and above
• Annual raffle for excellent attendance and punctuality
• Year 6 award and £20 gift voucher presented at leavers assembly for the best attendee/s whilst at Netherton Moss
• Year 6 award and £20 gift voucher presented at leavers assembly for the best timekeeper/s whilst at Netherton Moss

Useful Information