At St. Peter’s we encourage each family to strive to ensure that their child’s attendance at school is the best that it can be. We are proud of our consistently high attendance statistics, and we are assured that this contributes directly to the high achievement and wellbeing of all of our children.
Obviously, we recognise that from time to time, children can become unwell. If your child is too ill to attend school, then please telephone the school office to report the absence as early as possible on the first day of absence. We certainly need to be aware of the reasons for any absence before 10.00am. If your child has had vomiting or diarrhoea, then we ask that they stay away from school for 48 hours after the last episode.
Wherever possible, we ask families to arrange medical appointments such as dental and optician appointments outside of school hours. However, we recognise that emergency appointments and appointments with specialists may fall during the school day. If your child needs to arrive at school after the beginning of the school day, or if they need to leave before the end of the day, then please drop/ collect them from the main school office. There is an intercom system on the Nursery gate which Nursery parents are welcome to use in this situation. Please hand in written confirmation of the appointment to your child’s class teacher, or to the main school office.
Please click this link to read our attendance policy: Attendance Policy
Below is a copy of the information that was sent out to families on 12th October 2026
At St Peter’s Catholic Primary School, we strive for excellence in all that we do, and that begins with excellent attendance and punctuality. We know that when children are absent from school or arrive late, they miss valuable learning opportunities. This can have a negative impact on their academic achievement, as well as their social, emotional and mental wellbeing.
As a school, we are committed to supporting our families and will always seek to work together to identify and remove any barriers to attendance before considering any form of legal intervention.
In August 2024, the new National Framework for Penalty Notices came into effect. Penalty Notices may be issued to the parents or carers of children of compulsory school age when unauthorised absences occur. Notices can be issued to each parent or carer who is deemed responsible for the child’s attendance.
Under the current legislation:
- First Penalty Notice: £160 per parent, per child if paid within 28 days, reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days.
- Second Penalty Notice: £160 per parent, per child if paid within 28 days, with no reduction available.
- Third offence within a three-year period: A Penalty Notice will not be issued. Instead, the case may be referred directly to the Magistrates’ Court, where fines of up to £2,500 per parent, per child may be imposed.
Please be aware that any unauthorised absence, including term-time holidays that have not been authorised, may result in a Penalty Notice and/or prosecution. Failure to pay a Penalty Notice may also result in legal proceedings.
We are keen to avoid this situation and therefore ask all families to support us by ensuring excellent attendance and punctuality. We respectfully ask that term-time holidays are not booked and that children arrive at school on time each day. Arriving after the register has closed is recorded as an unauthorised absence.
A Penalty Notice may be considered when a child accumulates 10 sessions (equivalent to 5 school days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling 10-school-week period.
Support and guidance regarding attendance is always available. If you have any concerns about your child’s attendance or require support, please do not hesitate to contact the school.
Thank you for ensuring that every child has the best possible opportunity to learn and thrive
K Ryan – Headteacher