Why being in school matters

Children should be in school every day if they can. Good attendance helps your child learn, make friends and feel part of school.

We know getting children to school every day can feel hard at times — many families experience this.

Schools measure attendance as a percentage. It shows how often your child has been in school.

Why attendance matters

Regular attendance helps your child:

• keep up with lessons
• feel confident
• stay connected with friends
• build a routine that supports learning

If your child has missed school, you can still improve things with support from the school.

Attendance levels

Persistently absent means your child’s attendance is below 90%.

Severely absent means your child’s attendance is below 50%.

For example, 90% attendance means your child is missing 1 day every 2 weeks in a full term.

These levels help schools understand when a child may need extra support.