Weekly Bulletin: Friday 6th June 2025
Dear Parents, Carers & Families,
Today, rather than celebrate the wonderful learning that has happened 
in school this week, we have chosen to focus upon a worrying matter - the significant learning children miss if they go on holiday during school time.
Research has shown that on the whole pupils who miss four or more school days a year are much less likely to reach their full potential, to attain the levels of knowledge and skill required to be judged as reaching the expected or better standard in the SATs in Year 6 and Secondary exams.
In addition, poor school attendance is likely to reduce the possibilities of success as an adult in the working World.
Taking a child on holiday during term time not only impedes the absent pupil’s progress, it interrupts the learning of the whole class. It is for this fundamental reason that Headteachers are not allowed to authorise holiday absence and that the Local Authority may issue Penalty Notices or take legal action.
We are raising this matter now as the Summer months draw in because we have been seeing an alarming increase in the number of unauthorised holidays being taken and we cannot be silent on this matter. Please refrain from taking holidays during school time.
On that note, thank you so much to all those parents who forego holidays in school time. This decision certainly will positively influence their learning and lead to an increased chance of life-long success.
Best wishes,
Angela Carpenter
Headteacher
Weekly Attendance
The foundations of learning are laid in the Primary years of schooling and so Whitehill Primary School is committed to making sure that our children do not miss out on the education and care that we offer. Regular attendance is critical if our pupils are to be happy, successful and benefit from the opportunities presented to them now and in the future.
Good attendance is fundamental to a successful and fulfilling school experience. We actively promote 100% attendance for all our pupils and we use a variety of rewards and incentives to promote good attendance and punctuality. Awards are group focused rather than given to individuals as we recognise that our students cannot help being absent for medical reasons.
This week, the class with the best attendance is Turquoise Class. Well done Turquoise Class! Keep up the good work!