Attendance
‘Good attendance isn't just about being present—it's about giving children the best chance to succeed, build confidence, and thrive academically and socially from the very start.’
Attendance
At Rack House Primary School, we are committed to providing the highest standard of education for all our pupils. We firmly believe that excellent attendance and punctuality are essential in helping children make the most of their learning opportunities. Regular and timely attendance ensures that pupils are fully engaged in their education and able to achieve their full potential.
Research consistently shows that regular absence from school is often the greatest single cause of poor achievement and performance. Everyday matters — missing even a few days can lead to gaps in learning that make it harder for children to keep up with their peers.
Parents and carers play a crucial role in supporting good attendance habits, particularly for primary-aged children. While many of our pupils achieve 100% attendance, we monitor all attendance patterns carefully and are alert to those that raise concern.
At Rack House, we share the same goal as our families — we all want the very best for our children. With 190 school days each academic year, every day is an opportunity to grow, learn, and achieve, so, to support this, we track each pupil’s attendance and punctuality daily. When patterns of concern emerge, parents are contacted via an attendance letter or may be asked to attend a meeting in person.
Of course, we understand that there will be times when absence is unavoidable. Infectious illness, hospital appointments, or family emergencies are part of life, and we recognise that some absences are necessary.
Our Attendance Team, Miss Kelly and Mrs Power, regularly review attendance data alongside pupil progress and attainment. If there is a link between low attendance and a decline in academic performance, parents will be contacted. We are committed to working with families to help children catch up on any missed learning due to unavoidable absences.
Punctuality Matters
Arriving at school on time each day is just as important as being present. A punctual start helps your child settle quickly, sets a positive tone for the day, and maximises learning time. It also supports the development of lifelong skills such as responsibility and time management.
Punctuality and good attendance go hand in hand — and we know that pupils who attend regularly and arrive on time have more opportunities to succeed. Even small amounts of lateness can add up. For example, being just 5 minutes late each day can result in over 3 days of lost learning over the course of the year.
Being on time also gives children the chance to socialise with their friends before the school day starts, which builds confidence and supports overall wellbeing — key ingredients for success!
Holidays During Term Time
At Rack House Primary School, we do not authorise holidays during term time.
Term-time holidays are now one of the leading causes of pupil absence, and it’s important to clarify a common misunderstanding: there is no legal entitlement to holiday leave from school. The law only allows for leave in exceptional circumstances. Like all Manchester schools, we follow this guidance and will treat any holiday taken during term time, without exceptional circumstances, as unauthorised.
When children are taken out of school for holidays, they miss not only essential teaching, but also valuable social and school experiences that are difficult to make up. We understand and empathise with the financial pressures families face — particularly the high cost of holidays during peak times — and we agree that this is an issue that needs to be addressed more widely. However, we cannot allow the rising cost of holidays to compromise a child’s education.
We strongly encourage all parents to plan family holidays during the 175 days each year when school is not in session. This ensures that your child can fully benefit from the rich educational and social opportunities offered at Rack House Primary School.