Attendance
Our Approach to Attendance
At Elmley Dray School, we believe that regular attendance is vital to every pupil’s learning, wellbeing, and personal development. We are committed to creating a supportive, inclusive and understanding environment where all pupils feel safe, valued and ready to learn.
We recognise that many of our pupils face additional challenges, including anxiety, medical needs, and other barriers to attendance. Our approach is therefore rooted in early support, personalised planning and strong partnerships with families.
Attendance at Elmley Dray is about support not punishment.
Why Attendance Matters
Every day in school matters. Good attendance helps pupils to:
- Build consistent routines
- Develop friendships and social skills
- Make steady academic progress
- Build confidence and independence
- Prepare for future education and adulthood
Even short or frequent absences can have a significant impact over time, particularly for pupils with additional needs who benefit from structure and familiarity.
How to Report an Absence
If your child is unable to attend school, please inform us as soon as possible on the first day of absence. If your child will be absent for more than one day, please keep us updated daily unless otherwise agreed.
Email: attendance@elmleydrayschool.co.uk
Our Attendance Team
We have a dedicated team to support attendance and work in partnership with families:
Senior Attendance Champion: Mrs Hollis
Attendance Officers: Miss Bloomfield and Mrs West
You can contact the attendance team via: attendance@elmleydrayschool.co.uk
How We Support Attendance
We understand that every child and family is different. Support may include:
- Early identification of attendance concerns
- Regular communication with families
- Support for school-related anxiety
- Phased or supported reintegration
- Personalised attendance plans
- Therapeutic and pastoral input
- Liaison with external professionals
Our aim is always to work collaboratively to remove barriers and help pupils re-engage successfully.
Medical Appointments and Planned Absence
Where possible, medical and dental appointments should be arranged outside school hours. If this is not possible, please notify the school in advance and provide evidence where appropriate.
Requests for leave during term time are considered in line with national guidance and our Attendance Policy.
Attendance Expectations
We expect pupils to attend school every day unless they are too unwell to do so.
We ask parents and carers to:
- Ensure their child arrives on time each day
- Inform us promptly of absence
- Work with us if attendance becomes a concern
Good attendance is a shared responsibility between school, families and pupils.
Policies and Further Information
You can find more information in our:
These documents explain our procedures, responsibilities, and how we work to improve attendance across the school.
Elmley Dray School is proudly recognised as an Inclusive Attendance school. Our unwavering commitment to attendance centres around child-centric actions, evidence-informed practices, and a shared understanding of everyone's roles and collective responsibilities to promote exceptional attendance.
We are driven by an unwavering commitment to making school attendance a top priority, fully integrated with every aspect of school improvement. Using the Inclusive Attendance Model, the first and only accredited programme providing the pedagogy of practice, we support children and families to connect, belong, and thrive.
Inclusive Attendance Professional Development Model
The Inclusive Attendance professional development model fundamentally guides our attendance approach. Comprising six tailored Learning Modules, this model empowers us to deepen our understanding by facilitating continuous professional learning for all staff. Within this model, the four domains of practice ensure the provision of professional learning, professional development, evidence-based practices, and exemplary leadership and management seamlessly integrate theory into practice.
Working Together
Strong attendance is built on trust, communication and partnership. If you have any concerns about your child’s attendance, wellbeing or ability to attend school, please contact us. We are here to help. Together, every day matters.
