At High Meadow Community School, we know that regular attendance is one of the strongest foundations for success. Every school day provides valuable opportunities for learning, friendships, confidence-building and personal growth. Missing even small amounts of time can quickly add up, creating gaps in learning and routines that are harder to rebuild over time. Arriving late can have the same impact, as children often miss important starts to lessons and key teaching moments.

The information below helps to show how attendance percentages translate into real days of learning missed, and why every day — and every minute — truly matters. Working together, we can ensure all children have the best possible chance to thrive: growing together, every day, in every way.

Attendance percentages can be misleading, as even a small drop can represent a significant amount of learning time missed.

For example:

• 100% attendance means your child has not missed any school at all.
• 95% attendance doesn’t mean “only a little time missed” – it equals around 9–10 days of learning missed across a school year.
• 90% attendance means a child has missed almost half a term.
• 85% attendance is equivalent to missing nearly a full half-term of school.

Late marks also count. When a child arrives late, they miss vital parts of learning such as instructions, phonics, reading or maths starters. Over time, these minutes add up and reduce a child’s overall attendance percentage, even if they are in school most days.

The poster shows how attendance adds up over time. Every day – and every minute – really does count. Being in school, on time, gives children the best chance to succeed both academically and socially.

Thank you for your continued support in helping us ensure every child gets the full benefit of their school day.

If you would like support with punctuality or regular attendance, our Inclusion Lead, Miss Waters, is available to help. The QR code below takes you to our 'Attendance Support Hub' and provides a range of useful advice, strategies and support. We are here to work with you.