School Attendance & Punctuality - Explainer
This explainer outlines processes and terminology around attendance and punctuality for our school.
School attendance and punctuality is correlated with better learning outcomes and a stronger sense of community and happiness for children in school. You can read more information on this on
https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/campaigns/school-attendance/
There will always be situations where a child must stay home, due to illness and other unavoidable situations. It’s important to note that where a child has a fever, has been vomiting or has diarrhea, they must be kept home until 48 hours after the last episode. Outside of this, whenever possible, pupils should be in school each day.
School starts at 9:20am each day. Attendance is recorded daily by the class teacher on our online roll books via Aladdin. If the child arrives later than 9:20am the time of arrival is also recorded here (this is calculated by Aladdin into learning time missed at the end of the year).
The legal Requirements
There are two mandated reporting mechanisms for attendance where attendance is reported to TUSLA, the child and family agency.
School Attendance Reports
There are two reporting periods in the year, September to December and January to June. We submit the school attendance returns in January for September to December and again in June.
On the form, we are required to list any pupils, over the age of 6, who have missed 20 school days for any reason. You will be informed if your child is included in the report. These figures are used for statistical purposes only.
The reports are not something to be concerned about in themselves. While attendance is hugely important there are also valid reasons for children to miss school, and this is understood. Where the school has concerns about your child’s attendance, we will be in touch to discuss with you separately. Please be mindful that missed days do add up quickly and 20 days in a year is a month of learning time your child has lost, so it is important to minimise absences that are within a family's control.
Discretionary Referrals
Discretionary referrals are made where a school is worried about the attendance of a pupil. This might be due to a lot of unexplained absences, a pattern of absences, significant ongoing issues with punctuality leading to a lot of missed learning time, etc. Our school will engage with your family, we will discuss our concerns over the phone or by organising a meeting. We wish to discuss and offer you support.
If the concerns persist, the school may refer your child to the Education Welfare Officer (EWO). The role of the Education Welfare Officer is primarily to support families and help to improve overall attendance.
Key things to note
The Tusla Education Support Service has more information for parents/guardians on their page.
https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/campaigns/school-attendance/
School attendance and punctuality is correlated with better learning outcomes and a stronger sense of community and happiness for children in school. You can read more information on this on
https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/campaigns/school-attendance/
There will always be situations where a child must stay home, due to illness and other unavoidable situations. It’s important to note that where a child has a fever, has been vomiting or has diarrhea, they must be kept home until 48 hours after the last episode. Outside of this, whenever possible, pupils should be in school each day.
School starts at 9:20am each day. Attendance is recorded daily by the class teacher on our online roll books via Aladdin. If the child arrives later than 9:20am the time of arrival is also recorded here (this is calculated by Aladdin into learning time missed at the end of the year).
The legal Requirements
There are two mandated reporting mechanisms for attendance where attendance is reported to TUSLA, the child and family agency.
School Attendance Reports
There are two reporting periods in the year, September to December and January to June. We submit the school attendance returns in January for September to December and again in June.
On the form, we are required to list any pupils, over the age of 6, who have missed 20 school days for any reason. You will be informed if your child is included in the report. These figures are used for statistical purposes only.
The reports are not something to be concerned about in themselves. While attendance is hugely important there are also valid reasons for children to miss school, and this is understood. Where the school has concerns about your child’s attendance, we will be in touch to discuss with you separately. Please be mindful that missed days do add up quickly and 20 days in a year is a month of learning time your child has lost, so it is important to minimise absences that are within a family's control.
Discretionary Referrals
Discretionary referrals are made where a school is worried about the attendance of a pupil. This might be due to a lot of unexplained absences, a pattern of absences, significant ongoing issues with punctuality leading to a lot of missed learning time, etc. Our school will engage with your family, we will discuss our concerns over the phone or by organising a meeting. We wish to discuss and offer you support.
If the concerns persist, the school may refer your child to the Education Welfare Officer (EWO). The role of the Education Welfare Officer is primarily to support families and help to improve overall attendance.
Key things to note
- The aim of attendance and procedures are to ensure the child gets the best experience of education and maximises learning time. We are available to support as needed.
- There is no need for concern once you get a letter saying your child has been included on the attendance report. Explained absences are recorded as such. We will contact parents directly when we have a concern.
- Be sure to enter your absence reason on Aladdin each time your child is absent, to keep that on record.
- Aim to have your child in school for 9:20am each day. We understand that exceptional circumstances happen and understanding is there for unexpected situations. Parents should contact their child’s teacher if it’s an ongoing challenge and a note can be made of it.
The Tusla Education Support Service has more information for parents/guardians on their page.
https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/campaigns/school-attendance/
| Supporting your Child when they are Reluctant to attend School |
