The David Ross Education Trust

David Ross Education Trust schools create a rich and exciting learning environment that inspires students to become their confident, academic best.

Learn More

pull-out button for trust tab

Newnham Primary School

Newnham Primary School values each child as an individual. We are committed to promoting the highest possible levels of achievement for all learners.

Attendance & Progress

“The children who are most happy and successful in school are those with the best attendance.” 

We would like to thank our parents for their commitment to their child’s attendance.

The vast majority of parents ensure that their child attends regularly and on time and we have very few parents who do not support their child in this.

We love to see the happy faces of the children as they get to school on time to play with their friends before sitting down together, ready to learn.  Children who do not get to school on time or miss some days of school altogether find it more difficult to make friends and to catch up on their learning.  Please remember that our school day starts promptly at 8:45 and children who are late miss the beginning of their reading session, an important skill for them to learn.

If your child is ill

We know that sometimes your child may be unable to attend because they feel unwell. 

In this case please contact 01327 705053 and leave a message telling us your child’s name and the reason for absence, preferably before 8:30 each day.  Some parents think that their child may be better off at home if they are ill, but generally we are happy to have them in school and will keep a close eye on them to make sure that they are ok, if you ask us to.  We have also produced a helpful leaflet to help you to decide whether your child is well enough to come to school which can be downloaded below..  We use NHS guidance to advise and you can access this yourself here.

If we do not hear from you first thing in the morning and your child is not in school, then we will try and make contact with you as quickly as possible to ensure that your child is safe.  This could be by MCAS, telephone or home visit.  Please rest assured that we always pursue this until we are satisfied so you know that your child’s welfare is important to us.

Other Reasons for Absence

The vast majority of our parents recognise that their children are happiest and successful in school when they attend regularly. 

For that reason, they do not ask for holidays during term time, because they know how damaging this can be for their child’s education.  If you feel that you still want to ask for your child’s holiday to be authorised despite this, then please ask to speak with the principal so that you can set out the special circumstances of your request.

If there is any other reason why you or your child is finding it difficult to attend school regularly and on time, then please do contact the school who can help. Seeking early help, no matter the issue, can help you to avoid any fines for non-attendance which can be very costly and embarrassing.

Rewarding Great Attendance

We love recognising good attendance and punctuality and so do our children!

Classes are recognised for good attendance and the whole school's achievements are celebrated and published frequently.

Show list Show Grid