Pupil Absence & Late Arrivals
School Attendance
The staff of Ripley Endowed CE Primary School are committed, in partnership with parents/carers, children, governors and Local Authority, to building schools which serve the community and of which the community is proud. We believe that in order to facilitate teaching and learning, good attendance is essential. Pupils cannot achieve their full potential if they do not regularly attend school. Full and regular attendance at school is crucial for a child’s future life chances and establishes a positive work ethic early in life. To this end, we will do all we can to encourage parents/carers to ensure their children achieve maximum possible attendance and that any problems that prevent full attendance are identified and acted on promptly.
Pupils are expected to achieve 100% attendance, but when absence is unavoidable, parents/carers will be required to inform the school at the earliest opportunity.
Every Day Counts
We want every child to achieve their full potential and we know that parents share this goal. There is a clear link between good attendance and educational achievement. If your child is not in school, on time, as often as possible they will be missing out on many important parts of their education.
Why is regular attendance at school important?
Regular school attendance will mean that your child has a better chance in life. Your child will achieve better when they go to school all day, every school day as they:
- learn better
- make friends
- are happier
- have a brighter future.
The Government regard 95% as the minimum satisfactory attendance for a school pupil.
Days off school add up to lost learning. Please don’t let your children miss out on the education they deserve.
How does your child compare?
|
Attendance during one school year |
equals this number of days absent |
which is approximately this many weeks absent |
which means this number of lessons missed |
|---|---|---|---|
|
95% |
9 days |
2 weeks |
50 lessons |
|
90% |
19 days |
4 weeks |
100 lessons |
|
85% |
29 days |
6 weeks |
150 lessons |
|
80% |
38 days |
8 weeks |
200 lessons |
We monitor attendance closely and contact parents to inform them and offer support where attendance has dropped and causes concern.
We are always happy to work with families to support and improve attendance.
Family emergencies need careful consideration. It is not always in the best interests of the pupil to miss school for family emergencies that are being dealt with by adult family members. School and school friendships and relationships can provide pupils with stability and care during difficult times. The routine of school can provide a safe and familiar background to life during times of upheaval.
Absence reporting procedures
If your child is absent from school due to illness, please telephone school on 01423 770160 and inform the office staff by 9am. If your child’s illness lasts for more than one day, you must phone school daily and inform us why your child is still absent. If your child’s illness lasts longer than 48hrs and you have not already done so, we advise you to seek medical attention.
Medical Appointments
If your child has a medical appointment, before the appointment takes place, please give a copy of the appointment letter or card to the office staff who will notify the class teacher and a photocopy of the document will be taken. If the appointment letter or card is not submitted, your child’s absence will be recorded as unauthorised.
Safe and Well Home Visits
If your child is absent from school, you do not inform school and we cannot make contact, a member of the leadership team may visit your home to check all is well and ask why your child is absent from school. It is very important that you contact school and inform us why your child is absent. If we do not hear from you, we will be concerned and may make a referral to outside agencies.
It is a parent/carer’s legal responsibility to ensure their children receive appropriate education. Failing to send your child to school regularly without good reason is a criminal offence. If your child's level of absence is a concern, school will offer advice and support to improve attendance.
Leave in Term Time/ Leave of Absence from School
Head teachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Unauthorised absence of this nature will be subject to a fine. The Executive Headteacher will determine the number of school days a child can be away from school if the leave is granted. Should there be any exceptional circumstances, please make an appointment to discuss them with the Executive Headteacher before making any bookings.
Lateness
As you may be aware, the law treats some persistent lateness in the same way as irregular attendance and parents may be prosecuted by the local authority if late arrival is not resolved.
|
Minutes Late per day During the School Year |
Equals Days Worth of Teaching Lost in a Year |
|---|---|
|
5 mins |
3.4 days |
|
10 mins |
6.9 days |
|
15 mins |
10.3 days |
|
20 mins |
13.8 days |
|
30 mins |
20.7 days |
Poor punctuality can lead to your child…
- Feeling embarrassed in front of their friends
- Missing the beginning of vital lessons
- Missing important instructions for the rest of the school day
- Learning bad habits which could affect their employability in the future
If a child arrives at school after 9.00am when the doors are closed, they must report to the school office to sign in, and state the reason for the lateness. This will be recorded as an L code for late and monitored by the school. If there is no improvement, parents will be invited into school to meet with the Executive Headteacher.
If a child arrives at school after 9.15 am, they must report to the school office to sign in, and state the reason for the lateness. This will be recorded with a U code which means Unauthorised Absence.