Attendance at Clanfield Junior School

We truly love seeing your child in school every day!  At CJS, we value good attendance (over 96%) because it helps children to thrive — academically, socially and emotionally. When children attend regularly, they feel more confident, build stronger friendships and take part in all the exciting opportunities our school has to offer.

We also understand that sometimes life can be tricky, and families may need extra support. If you’re finding attendance challenging for any reason, please don’t hesitate to speak with us — we’re always here to help. Together, we can find solutions that work for your child and family.

Did you know?
Children attend school for 190 days a year, which means there are 175 non-school days for holidays, cultural experiences, appointments, and family time. Using these days for planned absences helps keep your child’s learning on track.

📞 Reporting an Absence

If your child is unable to attend school, please contact us as soon as possible on the first day of absence:

• Phone: 02392 593209

• Email: adminoffice@clanfield.hants.sch.uk

When reporting an absence, please include your child’s name, class, and reason for absence. If your child’s absence continues for more than one day, please keep us updated each morning.

Home visits:

Safeguarding is always our top priority, and we understand that sometimes children may need to be off school for a few days if they’re unwell. To make sure families have the support they need, a member of staff will get in touch and carry out a friendly home visit if an illness lasts beyond two days. This helps us to offer any help if needed, and make sure your child feels ready to return to school when they’re able to. Find out more by reading our attendance policy- Policies page

Absences are recorded as either:

• Authorised – when the school agrees with the reason for absence.

• Unauthorised – when no acceptable reason is given or the reason doesn’t meet the criteria for authorised absence.

Examples of absences which the school is unlikely to authorise include:

• Sickness of a parent or other family member

• Inadequate clothing for school

• Child being used as a carer

• Problems with transport

• Lateness

• Non-urgent medical treatment

• External club activity

• School refusal or truancy

• Birthdays

• Shopping trips

• Holidays

Please help us to make sure your child has a calm and positive start to each day by arriving on time and aiming for at least 96% attendance over the academic year. Every day in school really does make a difference — helping your child to belong, build confidence and thrive. 🌟

Attendance and Safeguarding

Every child is entitled to a full-time education, and regular attendance is an important part of keeping them safe. Persistent non-attendance or unauthorised absence may result in safeguarding action or involvement from the local authority. Our priority will always be to work closely with families to understand the reasons behind absence and to offer support wherever possible, ensuring that every child can attend school safely and successfully.

Term Time Holidays

At Clanfield Junior School, we know that family time is precious and that holidays are important for rest, fun and making memories together. These special times must take place during school holidays, as regular attendance plays such a big part in helping children achieve their best and feel secure in their learning routines. Children have 13 weeks of school holidays each year, and parents/carers are expected to plan family breaks within these times. Education law states that parents do not have the right to take their child out of school during term time for holidays. Please contact the school office to discuss this further or complete a Leave of Absence form in advance.

We appreciate your support in helping every child make the most of their learning time at school.

For more details, please see our Attendance Information Letter below, which explains how we support good attendance and what to do if you have questions or need advice.

Please be aware that under guidelines set down by the Department for Education, any child with 10 or more half-days of unauthorised absence (which includes lateness) in any 10 school week period, are liable to receive a Penalty Notice without further warning.