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We look forward to meeting you!
At Huntingdon Academy, every school day matters. Regular attendance is essential for children’s learning, wellbeing, friendships and future success.
Our dedicated Attendance and Medical Officer, Sally Milner-King, works closely with families to promote excellent attendance and overcome any barriers that may prevent children from coming to school.
Sally provides friendly, practical support through telephone calls, letters, home visits and meetings, working in partnership with families to ensure every child has the best possible opportunity to thrive.
We understand that children may occasionally be too unwell to attend school. However, we encourage all families to prioritise regular attendance and communicate with us if they need support.
Need help or advice about attendance?
Contact Sally directly:
Telephone: 07880 826720
Email: [email protected]
Together, we can make every school day count.
At Huntingdon Academy, we are proud to have achieved the Inclusive Attendance Bronze Kitemark, recognising our commitment to improving attendance through a positive, inclusive and whole-school approach.
We believe every school day matters and every child deserves to belong. By working closely with families, removing barriers to attendance and creating an exciting, nurturing environment where children want to be, we ensure every pupil has the opportunity to thrive.
From our engaging curriculum and exceptional OPAL play provision to our strong relationships and personalised family support, we are committed to making Huntingdon a place where children feel happy, safe and excited to learn.
Our Bronze Kitemark celebrates our whole-school commitment to making attendance everyone’s responsibility and ensuring every child has the opportunity to succeed.
At Huntingdon Academy, we aim for every child to achieve at least 96% attendance. We regularly monitor attendance to celebrate excellent attendance, identify concerns early and offer support to families when needed.
🟢 Green Zone – Above 96% to 100%
Excellent attendance! Your child is attending school regularly and making the most of their learning opportunities. No formal action is required, although we may contact families where attendance falls to 97% or below to offer early support.
🟠 Amber Zone – 92% to 96%
Attendance is becoming a concern. Families will receive a letter highlighting their child’s attendance, and a meeting may be arranged if improvements are not made. We will work together to identify barriers and offer practical support.
🔴 Red Zone – Below 92%
Attendance is a significant concern. A meeting or home visit will be arranged to discuss the reasons for absence and agree a plan for improvement. Medical evidence may be requested to support the authorisation of illness-related absences, where appropriate.
Important: The Department for Education defines attendance below 90% as persistent absence.
Our priority is always to work in partnership with families, removing barriers and ensuring every child has the opportunity to attend, achieve and thrive.
At Huntingdon Academy, every school day matters, and your child’s safety and wellbeing are our priority.
If your child is unable to attend school, parents and carers must inform the school as soon as possible on the first day of absence, explaining the reason.
If we haven’t received notification, our Attendance and Medical Officer, Sally Milner-King, will contact you by telephone, text message or email. You can reply directly to our text messages to explain your child’s absence.
Please ensure your contact details are always up to date so we can reach you quickly when needed.
Absences without a valid explanation may be recorded as unauthorised.
We understand that children sometimes become unwell but regular attendance is essential for learning, friendships and success. Together, we can make every school day count!
At Huntingdon Academy, we are committed to ensuring every child receives the education they deserve. All absences are reviewed in line with national attendance guidance and our school attendance policy.
An absence may be recorded as unauthorised when:
Medical evidence may be requested where there are genuine concerns about the reasons for absence. It is not routinely required for every illness or automatically after three consecutive days.
We recognise that every family’s circumstances are different and will always seek to understand individual situations and offer appropriate support.
Our aim is to work together with families to remove barriers, improve attendance and ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive.
At Huntingdon Academy, a positive start to the day sets children up for success. Arriving on time ensures pupils feel settled, confident and ready to learn alongside their classmates.
Our school day begins at 8:45am and we expect all children to arrive promptly. Even a few minutes of lateness each day can add up to significant lost learning time.
Children arriving after the register has closed at 9:30am will receive a U code, which is recorded as an unauthorised absence for the morning session.
We monitor punctuality closely and contact families where lateness becomes a concern. Monthly letters may be issued, followed by meetings to explore any difficulties and agree appropriate support.
We understand that mornings can sometimes be challenging, and we are here to help. By working together, we can ensure every child enjoys a calm, positive and successful start to their school day.
Take a look at the table below to see how just a few minutes of lateness can impact learning over time.
At Huntingdon Academy, every school day matters. Regular attendance is essential to children’s learning, friendships and overall development.
In line with government regulations, holidays during term time cannot be authorised unless there are exceptional circumstances. Any requests for leave of absence must be submitted in advance and will be considered individually by the Headteacher.
Unauthorised absences, including holidays taken during term time, may result in a penalty notice.
Under the national framework, the following penalties apply within a rolling three-year period:
Penalty notices may be considered when a child has 10 sessions (equivalent to five school days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling 10-school-week period, in accordance with national guidance.
We understand that family circumstances can sometimes be challenging and encourage parents and carers to speak with us before making any arrangements that may affect their child’s attendance.
By working together, we can protect valuable learning time and give every child the best opportunity to succeed.
At Huntingdon Academy, we believe great attendance deserves great recognition! We love celebrating children who demonstrate commitment, determination and a positive attitude towards coming to school.
Every Friday, our Achievement Assembly features an exciting drumroll to reveal our Attendance Champions! The winning class receives extra playtime as a reward for their fantastic attendance.
We also celebrate individual achievements through:
We recognise that every child’s circumstances are different, and we are equally proud of those who overcome challenges to improve their attendance.
Regular attendance helps children build friendships, develop confidence and make the most of every learning opportunity.
We ask all parents and carers to work in partnership with us to ensure children attend school regularly and punctually, unless they are unwell or have another valid reason for absence.
Together, we can celebrate success, overcome barriers and give every child the opportunity to thrive.
Please click on the attached link to see our Attendance Matters Booklet.
Please click on the attached link to view our Attendance Policy.
