Regular attendance is essential for children’s development, wellbeing and learning. Being in school helps children build routines, develop friendships and engage in learning opportunities within a safe and supportive environment. We work closely with families to promote good attendance and support children to attend school regularly, as small amounts of missed time can affect their confidence and progress. Click here to read guidance from Hampshire County Council. 

We use the nationally agreed attendance codes to record the reason for every child’s attendance or absence each morning and afternoon. These codes show whether a child is present, late, absent due to illness, attending an approved activity, or absent for another authorised or unauthorised reason. This can also be monitored by our families using Arbor. For further information, please read our Attendance Policy. 

Leave of Absence

We understand on rare occasions, families may need to request time away from school due to exceptional or unforeseen circumstances. We ask parents to complete a leave of absence request form, as this helps us to work in partnership with you, understand your situation and ensure attendance is recorded correctly. Requests are considered carefully on an individual basis and in line with government guidance.

Absence due to illness

If your child is unwell and unable to attend school, on the first day of absence, please ring the school Office on 01489 573800. 

It is always a worry when a child becomes poorly, please see below some key websites and information to help. If you are concern about your child's wellbeing and health, please contact your GP, call the NHS helpline on 111 or ring 999 in an emergency. 

	Healthier Together Go through the quick links to personalise the website content, advice and resources to your child's age and symptoms.
	Think Pharmacy First Walk into your local pharmacy whereby treatment can be given for common medical conditions.
	Parent Information Portal This is an online platform where you can access information about your child's health and helpful resources.

Please click here to access a guide from the NHS which is a clear list of common childhood illnesses, symptoms and treatments. 

Administering Medicine

If your child has a pre‑existing medical condition or is returning to school and needs to take medication, please click the link below to complete the form. To help us support children safely, we can only administer medication which has been prescribed to be taken four times a day, such as eczema creams, asthma inhalers or prescribed antibiotics. The medicines must be clearly labelled and in its original box with your child’s name on.

Medical Appointments

Your child’s health and wellbeing are important and we will always work with you to support their needs. We understand medical appointments are sometimes unavoidable during the school day. Please let the Office know in advance, so we can ensure a smooth process and minimise disruption to the children’s learning. To help manage our attendance records accurately, please provide confirmation of the appointment, either by emailing adminoffice@sarisbury-inf.hants.sch.uk with a screenshot or photo, or bring a copy to the Office. Additionally, if your child has an appointment during the school day which overlaps lunch, please provide a packed lunch or feed your child at home prior to them returning. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.