Attendance and Punctuality

At Risby CEVC Primary School, we are committed to providing the highest quality education for every child. Regular attendance and punctuality are essential to ensuring that all pupils benefit fully from the educational opportunities available to them.

Good attendance and punctuality help children achieve academically, build positive relationships and develop the confidence and routines needed to succeed in school and beyond.

We expect all children to attend school every day during term time and to arrive punctually, ready to learn. Arriving late should be the exception, not the norm.

Why Punctuality Matters

Poor punctuality is not acceptable and can lead to patterns of irregular attendance.

Children who arrive late may miss important teaching, explanations and opportunities to practise key skills. They can also feel unsettled, embarrassed or behind their peers when joining a lesson that has already begun.

Just five minutes of lateness each day adds up to almost 16 hours of missed learning over a school year.

Being on time is an important life skill, and we ask all families to help children develop positive routines from an early age.

Our School Times

• 8:40am: Classroom doors open.

• 8:50am: Registration begins. All children are expected to be in school and ready to learn.

• After 8:50am: Children arriving late must report to the school office and will receive a late mark (Code L) while the register remains open.

• 9:00am:   The morning register closes at 9:00am. Children arriving once the register has closed will normally receive an unauthorised absence mark for the morning session (Code U), unless another appropriate attendance code applies.  Unauthorised absences will be followed up in accordance with our Attendance Policy. Please see our Attendance Policy on how we manage unauthorised absences.  

Our afternoon registration times reflect our staggered lunchtimes:

• Key Stage 1: 1:00pm

• Key Stage 2: 1:15pm

How We Manage Lateness

All late arrivals are recorded on our attendance system, Arbor, including the number of minutes late.

Where a child is repeatedly late, the school will contact parents and carers to discuss the reasons, offer appropriate support and agree steps to improve punctuality.

Persistent lateness may result in a meeting with the Headteacher and, where appropriate, involvement from Suffolk County Council's Education Welfare Service.

School attendance and punctuality are not optional expectations. They form part of our shared responsibility to ensure that every child receives their full educational entitlement.

Reporting Absence

If your child is unable to attend school, please contact the school office as early as possible, preferably before 8:50am and no later than 9:10am.

Parents and carers must provide a reason for absence on each day their child is absent.

Telephone: 01284 810367
Email: admin@risbyprimary.com

Monitoring Attendance

We aim for excellent attendance for every child and monitor attendance and punctuality regularly.

A child whose attendance falls below 90% is classified nationally as persistently absent.

Where concerns arise, we work with parents, carers and Suffolk County Council's Education Welfare Service to identify barriers, provide appropriate support and secure improvements.

Working Together

We recognise that family circumstances can sometimes make attendance or punctuality challenging. We encourage parents and carers to contact the school if they are experiencing difficulties so that we can explore appropriate support.

Some children may face additional barriers due to medical conditions, special educational needs or other circumstances. We will work sensitively with families to understand these barriers and consider reasonable adjustments and appropriate support.

Every school day matters. Every minute of learning counts.

Our shared aim is to ensure that every child feels happy, settled and ready to make the most of their education.