Attendance

At Rivelin Primary School we view attendance and punctuality very important.  We believe it is vital that children are in school every day and on time, so they are learning as much as they possibly can.  Outstanding attendance means children can make the most of all the wonderful learning, activities and events that are provided at our school. Monday to Friday the school gates open at 8.40am and are closed at 8.50am for both KS1 and KS2. If your child/ren arrives after 8.50am a member of staff will be at the gate to record the time of your arrival. The school day finishes at 3.05pm for KS1 pupils and KS2 and Nursery finishes at 3.10pm. Pupils are to be collected on the KS1 and KS2 playgrounds and nursery and FS2 area to be collected by the ramp near the yellow doors.

Please see the diagram on the left for details of what percentage means to our school. The Government strategy, to raise school’s attendance, is a key component to raise standards in education. Pupils who are persistently absent from school are those who regularly take time off school and whose attendance falls below 90%.

We do understand as a school children do become unwell and have to take time off from school. We ask all parents to contact the school before 9.30 am to inform the school of the reason why your child is not attending school.

We review our pupil attendance, on a regular basis and work alongside the Education Welfare Officer, Mr Dale Edwardes. If a child’s attendance drops below 92% and the reasons of absence give us cause for concern then Mr Edwardes will work alongside the school to try and improve the child’s attendance. This may mean that he will do phone calls to the family or home visits to offer support and advice.

You can find out more information about the school’s procedures on the school’s attendance and punctuality policy on the school website.

Welfare Officer:

My name is Dale Edwardes and I am the school’s Education Welfare Officer.  I just wanted to introduce myself and explain my role and responsibilities to you, now that your child is starting at Rivelin Primary School in September. 

I have been an Education Welfare Officer for 24 years now and I have worked across most areas of Sheffield.  Over the last 8 years I have been working with 6 Primary Schools, including Rivelin Primary School. 

My role involves working with schools, Parent/Carers and children, with regards to improving pupil attendance and punctuality.

Every half term, I meet school staff and identify those pupils whose attendance is a cause for concern (below 92%) and where their attendance is irregular (eg. Regular absences on a Monday or Friday).  I will then either make a home visit or meet with a parent/carer in school, to discuss the reasons for their child’s absence, offer advice and look at ways of supporting a family in bringing their child to school more regularly.

There are some re-occurring issues which I have come across in my line of work and without wanting to sound patronising, I wanted to ask for your support with the following:-  

1) Please contact the school on the first day of your child’s absence and keep the school informed if the absence continues.                                   

2) Please ensure that you have credit on your mobile phone to contact the school and if not, please keep your mobile phone charged and switched on, so the school can contact you, if your child is absent or there is an emergency during school hours.

3) Please update the school if you change your mobile number or any emergency contact number.

4) Please bring your child to school on time each day.  As you know, lateness impacts on a child's learning, relationships and self-esteem. 

5) Please take ‘leave’ during the school holidays - guidance has been given to schools, which states that term time leave will not be authorised by the school unless there are exceptional circumstances.  If parent/carers do not comply with the guidance then a Fixed Penalty Notice may be issued by the Local Authority.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and I hope your child has a successful transition into school.

If you have any concerns or need any support in relation to your child’s attendance or punctuality, then please don’t hesitate to ring me on 07885972039.

Thank you.

Dale Edwardes

Education Welfare Officer