Regular and punctual school attendance is important. Children need to attend school regularly if they are to take full advantage of the educational opportunities available to them by law. Riddings Infant and Nursery School fully recognises its responsibilities in ensuring pupils are in school and on time, therefore having access to learning for the maximum number of days and hours. 

Although parents/carers have the legal responsibility for ensuring their child’s good attendance, the Headteacher and Governors at our school work together with other professionals and agencies to ensure that all pupils are encouraged and supported to develop good attendance habits. 

Attending school on a regular basis is the key to your child doing well at school and will set them up with good routines for later life and the working world, as well as giving them the opportunity to:

• Make friends and feel included

• Learn new things and develop skills

• Increase their confidence and self-esteem  

• Improve social skills

• Achieve their potential and fulfil aspirations 

Every school day counts. Every single day a child is absent from school equates to a day of lost learning.

100% attendance - No days missed

95% attendance - Nine days of absence - One week and four days of learning missed

90% attendance - 19 days of absence - Three weeks and four days of learning missed

85% attendance - 28 days of absence - Five weeks and three days of learning missed  

Rewards & Recognition

Although good attendance is an expectation the school seeks to improve whole school attendance by offering incentives throughout the school year. Publishing best attending classes and whole school attendance on the The Hub weekly for parents.

We run good attendance and perfect punctuality weeks throughout the school year to celebrate the attendance of all.

Each class has an attendance Hero mascot, when a class wins attendance of the week, the class get to keep the mascot in the classroom for the week. If the class achieve 100% attendance they will receive Gonzo, our whole school attendance mascot, alongside their class mascot, as well as a sticker from the headteacher. These classes are also congratulated and celebrated in assembly and a display in the hall celebrates this.

How to Report Your Child's Absence

When to contact us

It is important that contact to school is made at the earliest possible opportunity, on the first day of absence. 

How to contact us

Choose one of the following methods:

• Phone: 01773 602767 (leave an answerphone message if needed)
• Email: info@riddings-inf.derbyshire.sch.uk
• In person: Speak to the school office before dropping off a sibling

Please note: Tapestry/Seesaw or telling your child's teacher (verbally) are not ways of informing us of a child's absence as there is a chance the information may not be seen or passed on in time. 

Types of Absence

Authorised Absence

An absence is classified as authorised when a child has been away from school for a legitimate reason and the school has received notification.

Legitimate reasons include:

• Illness
• Medical appointments (only where they cannot be made outside school hours)
• Some family or religious circumstances

Important: Only the school can make an absence authorised. 

Unauthorised Absence

Absence from school is likely to be recorded as an unauthorised absence when: there is no parental explanation, or the school is not satisfied with the explanation for an absence. In either of these situations, you could face prosecution (See Appendix 1: Absence Procedures).

Medical Appointments

Every effort should be made to arrange appointments outside of school hours, where possible. 

When appointments must be in school time:

• Take evidence (letter, appointment card) to the school office before the appointment
• Only take your child out for the necessary time
• Bring your child in before/after the appointment where possible

Persistent lateness

Where a pupil is persistently late for 10 separate instances over a period of 10 school weeks and where these are signified as a “U” in the attendance register, the school can, at the discretion of the Head teacher, request the Local Authority to issue Penalty Notices to each parent for each child to whom unauthorised absence applies.

The separate instances can be added in conjunction with other unauthorised sessions e.g. a child could have been late for 4 sessions and been absent for 3 days (6 sessions) over a 10-week period – totalling 10 separate instances.

Penalty Notices and Fines

The headteacher, local authority or the police can instigate the fining of parents for the unauthorised absence of their child from school, where the child is of compulsory school age, by issuing a penalty notice. 

When a penalty notice may be issued:

• 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks. Please note 1 day equates to 2 sessions - one morning and one afternoon mark. 
• Persistent lateness (10 separate "U" codes over 10 school weeks)

Penalty amounts:

• If issued with a first penalty notice, the parent must pay £80 within 21 days, or £160 within 28 days 
• If a second penalty notice is issued to the same parent in respect of the same pupil, the parent must pay £160 if paid within 28 days 
• Each parent who is liable for the pupil's offence(s) can be issued with a penalty notice 
• If your child is off school 3 or more times within the 3 years you will not be fined but may be taken to court.

Moving to a New School

It is important that if families decide to send their child to a different school that they inform the school office as soon as possible. 

We need to know:

• The date your child will be leaving and starting the new school
• The address of the new school
• Your new home address (if appropriate)

A pupil will not be removed from the school roll until the following information has been received and investigated.

Our Attendance Team

We have a dedicated team to support your child's attendance:

Attendance Champions: Mrs Bartlett and Mrs Fox

• Monitor attendance daily and weekly
• Make wellbeing calls and conduct home visits
• Provide support to remove barriers to attendance
• Greet children at the gate each morning

SENCO: Miss Kamillo

• Supports children with special educational needs, disabilities, or medical needs
• Ensures smooth transitions for children with additional needs

Contact us: 01773 602767

Punctuality matters

To help children achieve their very best in school, it is important that they are good attenders and also punctual. Teachers welcome pupils into the classroom at 8.35-8.45am. The end of the school day is at 3:15pm everyday. This equates to 32 hours and 30 minutes a week.

Children who are persistently late miss a significant amount of learning, we teach our phonics sessions across school in the morning, if your child is 10 minutes late everyday that is nearly one hour learning missed each week.

Where there have been persistent incidents of lateness (more than 5 during a half term) parents/carers will be asked to come into school to discuss  and provide opportunities for parents/carers to seek support and advice to address these issues.

Persistent lateness

Where a pupil is persistently late for 10 separate instances over a period of 10 school weeks and where these are signified as a “U” in the attendance register, the school can, at the discretion of the Head teacher, request the Local Authority to issue Penalty Notices to each parent for each child to whom unauthorised absence applies.

The separate instances can be added in conjunction with other unauthorised sessions e.g. a child could have been late for 4 sessions and been absent for 3 days (6 sessions) over a 10-week period – totalling 10 separate instances.

Safeguarding and Children Absent from Education

A pupil absent from education is a child who is currently on roll at our school but is not attending; this can be a potential indicator of abuse or neglect. Our staff will follow the attendance procedures for dealing with pupils that are absent from education, particularly on repeat occasions, to help identify the risk of abuse and neglect.

We will ensure the local authority are aware of every registered pupil who fails to attend school regularly and any pupils who have been absent from school, where the absence has been treated as unauthorised for a continuous period.

In order to manage risks, the Designated Safeguarding leads, will ensure appropriate multi agency engagement, where necessary, so that pupils receive the appropriate level of early help or statutory intervention to ensure they attend school regularly.

Children Missing Education

It is important for us to note that Children Absent from Education are children frequently not attending school but still remain on our roll. Whereas, Children Missing Education (CME) are:

• All children of compulsory school age who are not on a school roll
• Children not being educated elsewhere (e.g. privately or in alternative provision)
• Who have been out of any educational provision for a substantial period (usually agreed as two weeks or more).

Holidays During Term Time

Head Teachers are no longer permitted to agree a Leave of Absence during term time unless in exceptional circumstances. 

What you need to know:

• You have to get permission from the Headteacher if you want to take your child out of school during term time.
• You can only do this if you make an application to the head teacher in advance. This must be with a minimum of 2 weeks notice.
• Failure to do this could result in a fine or prosecution.

Our strong advice: We strongly advise that you do not take your child out of school for a holiday as it will have a detrimental effect on their education.

Reducing the spread of infection in school

In school we remind the children of the importance of regular and effective handwashing and ensure spaces are well-ventilated to reduce the spread of infection. Coughing and sneezing easily spread infections. Children and adults are encouraged to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue and wash hands after using or disposing of tissues.