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Richard Atkins Primary School

Attendance and Punctuality

Our Whole School Approach to Attendance and Punctuality

At Richard Atkins we have the highest aspirations for your child; children only get one chance at school, and in order to achieve in education, they need to attend school regularly and be on time for their lessons. It is an obvious, but important point to make, that if a child misses a significant number of lessons then it is likely that their education will be greatly affected. We therefore have a strict policy on attendance and punctuality.

We expect and encourage pupils to have good attendance and to arrive at school on time and will work closely with parents and carers should attendance or punctuality give cause for concern.

Excellent punctuality is important because:

  • When pupils arrive late they disrupt lessons
  • When pupils arrive late they can miss key learning opportunities
  • When pupils are late it can be embarrassing for them
  • Good time keeping is a vital life skill that will help children as they progress through their school life and out into the wider world

Excellent attendance is important because:

  • Children may be at risk of harm if they do not attend school regularly
  • There is a direct link between under-achievement and poor attendance
  • Regular attenders make better progress, both socially and academically
  • Regular attenders find school routines and schoolwork easier to cope with
  • Regular attenders are more likely to find learning satisfying and to build strong friendships with their peers
  • Regular attenders have an easier transfer to secondary school, having developed positive habits in attending school every day
  • Creating a pattern of regular attendance establishes a positive habit for life

Please note that permitting absence from school without a good reason creates an offence in law under the Education Act 1996, and may result in prosecution.

What to do if your child is unwell ...

You must inform the school by 9am on every morning of absence if your child is unwell, or absent for any other reason. You can do this in person, by phone on 020 8674 5601, by email admin@richardatkins.org or using our Mobile Phone App. 

It is important that the school receives accurate information from parents/carers as this information is used to determine whether or not the absence is authorised or unauthorised by the school; please ensure that you state your child’s name, class and the specific reason for their absence.

Note: If a child has 3 consecutive days or absence, parent/carers are required to provide medical evidence in the form of a medical appointment card with the child’s name on, a prescription or discharge note.

Absences:

Call 8am on every morning of absence.

020 8674 5601

If a child attendance below 95% parents/carer may be required to provide medical evidence such as a note from a GP or a copy of a prescription. Failure to do so may result in the absence being unauthorised.

Unauthorised absence and persistent lateness are taken very seriously at Richard Atkins Primary School, please take the time to read our full Attendance and Punctuality Policy if you have any concerns.