At Queen Eleanor Academy, we are immensely proud of our attendance record. In the last academic year, our attendance was 96.6% – 2.1% above the national average. 

This strong performance reflects our children’s own experiences: they tell us that they feel happy, safe, and valued at school – a place where they are excited to learn and thrive.

We know that excellent attendance is a key factor in academic success, and we are committed to working in close partnership with our families and the wider community to ensure every child receives the education they deserve. 

We understand that there can be challenges, and our approach is rooted in compassion, understanding, and collaboration. Together, we identify and remove any barriers to attendance and offer a wide range of support tailored to individual needs.

Our goal is to give every child at Queen Eleanor the very best chance to succeed.

Why Attendance Matters

Evidence shows that even relatively small dips in attendance can have a significant impact on outcomes:

• Pupils with 100% attendance are the most likely to meet or exceed age-related expectations by the end of primary school – 84% achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
• For those with attendance below 90% (classified as persistently absent), only around 40% achieve the expected standard.
• Pupils missing 10–15% of sessions are 1.3 times less likely to meet age-related expectations and 3.1 times less likely to exceed them.
• Those missing 15–20% are 1.6 times less likely to meet expectations and 4.7 times less likely to exceed them.

These figures highlight how crucial it is for children to be in school every day. 

Attendance below 95% is a concern, and we are committed to addressing this early – not with blame, but with support and partnership.

Holidays in Term Time

We fully recognise the financial pressures families face, especially when it comes to the cost of holidays. However, we must be clear that holidays during term time lead to lost learning that is often difficult to recover. More than just missed lessons, children who are absent during school trips, performances, projects or classroom discussions often feel a sense of exclusion and miss out on shared experiences with their peers.

We therefore strongly discourage term-time holidays and, in line with government guidance, are only able to authorise absence in exceptional circumstances. 

As a school, we are committed to putting education first while still listening with empathy to our families' situations.

At Queen Eleanor Academy, attendance is not just a statistic – it is a reflection of our children’s engagement, our families’ commitment, and our community’s shared belief in the power of education. 

Together, we make school a place children want to be – every single day.

Punctuality

We open our doors at 8:45am and close them at 8:55am. Arriving on time helps children start calmly, hear introductions, and settle into learning.

Children who arrive late can miss:

• Introductions to the day’s work and key information
• Classroom news and routines
• Valuable teaching time — and late arrivals can also disrupt other learners

Illness: Do I need to keep my child off school?