At Ellis Guilford School, EGScellent attendance is everyone's responsibility. We are committed to ensuring all children attend school regularly, arrive on time, and develop a strong sense of belonging within our school community.

Our attendance ambition is simple: every child attends school every single day.

However, we know that occasionally children can be too unwell to attend, and for this reason, our target for all is 98%. This target gives every child the best opportunity to achieve their full potential. 

When children attend school every day, they benefit from: 

• High-quality teaching and learning 
• Strong relationships with peers and staff 
• A greater sense of belonging and connection to school life 
• Increased confidence, wellbeing and resilience 
• More opportunities to participate in Ellis Electives and school events 
• Improved GCSE outcomes and future opportunities 

We know that attendance matters. Outcomes over the past three years (2024, 2025, and 2026) show that children who attend school regularly, with perfect punctuality, achieve significantly better results, secure stronger post-16 destinations, and develop the habits needed for lifelong success.  

Through our Don't Break the Streak culture, we encourage children to challenge themselves to attend every day, recognising that every day in school matters and every lesson counts. Regular attendance not only supports academic success but also helps children build friendships, develop confidence, strengthen their wellbeing, and fully engage in the life of the school.

However, we know that occasionally children can be too unwell to attend, and for this reason, our target for all is 98%. This target gives every child the best opportunity to achieve their full potential. 

When children attend school every day, they benefit from: 
•    High-quality teaching and learning 
•    Strong relationships with peers and staff 
•    A greater sense of belonging and connection to school life 
•    Increased confidence, wellbeing and resilience 
•    More opportunities to participate in Ellis Electives and school events 
•    Improved GCSE outcomes and future opportunities 

We know that attendance matters. Outcomes over the past three years (2024, 2025, and 2026) show that children who attend school regularly, with perfect punctuality, achieve significantly better results, secure stronger post-16 destinations, and develop the habits needed for lifelong success.  

Through our Don't Break the Streak culture, we encourage children to challenge themselves to attend every day, recognising that every day in school matters and every lesson counts. Regular attendance not only supports academic success but also helps children build friendships, develop confidence, strengthen their wellbeing, and fully engage in the life of the school.

Attendance EGSpectations  

Arrive on time: Children should arrive by 8:35am, ready for line-up at 8:40am. This avoids a late mark and ensures they don’t miss important tutor-time messages. 

Aim for 98% attendance: Our school target is 98% attendance, recognising that occasionally children are too unwell to attend school. This equates to no more than 4 days absence across the school year. 

Be ready to learn: Good attendance helps build confidence, understanding, and success in every subject. 

Perfect Punctuality: All children are expected to arrive to all lessons on time. This means children don’t miss key learning and can keep up with their peers. All children are given a 5-minute transition time between lessons to make sure they are not late.  

Don’t Break the Streak: Children track their attendance in their planners and earn stamps from tutors each morning to work towards rewards and prize draws. 

Build positive routines: Preparing uniforms, bags, and equipment the night before helps children start the day successfully. 

We’re here to help: If attendance becomes challenging, please contact your child’s tutor, Year Team, or the Attendance Team for support. 

These EGSpectations reflect our school culture of Ambition, Integrity and Respect

Absence From School  

At Ellis Guilford School, we understand that children will occasionally be unwell. If your child is too unwell to attend school, please let us know by 8:30am on the first day of absence and on each subsequent day of absence, providing a reason for their absence. 

You can report an absence in the following ways: 

Email: attendance@ellisguilfordschool.org.uk 
Telephone: 0115 913 1338 (Option 1) 
Arbor Parent App: Send a message directly to the Attendance Team through your Arbor account. 

Medical and Dental Appointments 

We ask that all medical and dental appointments are made outside of school hours wherever possible. We recognise that this is not always possible however, and where an appointment takes place during the school day, children should attend school for the remainder of the day whenever they are able to do so. 

Please notify the school in advance of any planned appointment. This allows us to record the absence correctly and minimise any disruption to your child's learning. 

Leave of Absence Requests 

If you need to request a leave of absence during term time, please contact the Attendance Team as early as possible to discuss your circumstances. 

Please note that holidays during term time will not be authorised, in line with Department for Education guidance. Requests for absence due to exceptional circumstances should be submitted through the normal leave of absence process and must clearly explain the circumstances and why they are exceptional. 

Examples such as cheaper holiday costs, parental work commitments, family holidays, birthdays, family events, sporting events, concerts, or visiting friends and relatives would not be considered exceptional circumstances. 

Where a leave of absence is not authorised, and a child is absent from school, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised. The school will notify the Local Authority, who may issue a Penalty Notice in line with national regulations.

Who can I contact about my child’s attendance?   

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child's attendance, our Attendance Team are here to help. 

Email: attendance@ellisguilfordschool.org.uk 
Telephone: 0115 913 1338 (select Option 1)

Attendance Links

Year 7  

Michelle Hufton: Michelle.hufton@ellisguilfordschoool.org.uk 

Years 8 and 11  

Rebecca Lowe: Rebecca.lowe@ellisguilfordschool.org.uk 

Years 9 and 10  

Joanne Beaven: Joanne.Beaven@ellisguilfordschool.org.uk  

If you are unsure who to contact, please email the Attendance Team via attendance@ellisguilfordschool.org.uk and your enquiry will be directed to the appropriate member of staff.

Punctuality  

The school gates open at 8:20am, and a free breakfast is available for all children in the canteen before the start of the school day. 

Children are expected to arrive before 8:35am, ready for line-up to begin at 8:40am, and tutor time. Tutor time is a valuable part of the school day and includes:  

• The daily update from Miss Johnson (Principal) 
• Personal development activities 
• Academic interventions and support 
• Time with tutors to build relationships and prepare for learning 

Regular lateness can have a significant impact on a child's learning, wellbeing, and sense of belonging. Children who are regularly late to school may miss important information, fall behind with their learning, and may be subject to our school attendance and punctuality procedures.  

We work closely with families to identify and overcome any barriers to punctuality, ensuring every child has the best possible start to their day.

Don’t Break Your Streak

At Ellis Guilford School, we believe that every day counts. Our Don't Break the Streak initiative encourages children to attend school every day, develop positive routines, and make the most of every opportunity available to them. 

Children are recognised and rewarded regularly for their commitment to attendance through a range of exciting incentives and celebrations throughout the year. 

Daily Streak  

• Don't Break the Streak stamp during tutor time 
• 10 Guilford Gold awarded for attending school on time 

Weekly Streak  

• Golden Ticket entry for all children who keep their attendance streak for 5 days 
• Chance to win sweet treats on a Friday 

Half-Term Streak  

• Golden Ticket Raffle with prizes such as a Nintendo Switch, gift vouchers, and other EGSciting rewards 
• EGScellence EGStravaganza rewards, including treats such as waffles and hot chocolates 
• EGScellence Assemblies, celebrating attendance achievements with certificates and recognition 

Termly Streak  

• 1 Term: Silver Attendance Badge 
• 2 Terms: Gold Attendance Badge 
• Full Academic Year: Platinum Attendance Badge 

We understand that there will be occasions when children are genuinely unwell. Don't Break the Streak is about encouraging EGScellent attendance habits, celebrating commitment, and helping every child build strong routines, achieve their potential, and strengthen their sense of belonging within the Ellis Guilford community. 

Be in school. Be on time. Don't Break the Streak.

Policies

For the latest version of our Attendance Policy and other school policies, please visit our Policies page.