Attendance
At River Beach we consider it vital that your child attends school regularly and maintains a pattern of good attendance throughtout their school career.
Research has clearly shown that good, regular attendance has a positive impact on children’s achievement and allows them to fulfil their potential.
Watch this important message from all of the Headteachers' in Littlehampton and surrounding area, who all believe in the value of great attendance.
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Being at school regularly helps your child:
- learn
- have fun
- achieve
- build friendships with others
- experience new things in life
- build confidence and self esteem
- have the best possible start in life
At River Beach we celebrate good attendance in many ways but also support and encourage everyone to aim for over 96% every academic year.
Our School Attendance Procedure is detailed in the following document:
river beach attendance procedure.pdf
To read the leaflet that is sent out to parents about attendance please follow this link.
Attendance questions
What are the times of the school day?
The doors open for children in years 1 - 6 at 8.30am with registration at 8.40am The classroom doors for children in Reception classes open at 8.45am with registration at 8.55am. Pupils arriving after this time will be recorded as being late.
If your child arrives after 9.10am, this is recorded as an absence.
What should I do if my child is unwell?
If your child is too ill to attend school, please contact the school on the first day of absence before 9.00am. You can do this by using the Studybugs App, telephone on 01903 725500, or email to office@riverbeach.w-sussex.sch.uk
Coughs and common colds are not normally a reason for absence from school. If you’re unsure whether or not your child should attend, the Studybugs App will help guide you with official guidance from Public Health England on the need to stay off school, based on the symptoms or illnesses you enter.
When should my child return to school?
After periods of sickness and diarrhoea, children should not return to school for 48 hours after the last bout. This helps to prevent the spread of infection.
In the case of other contagious illnesses, please contact the school office who can advise of recommended return periods based on health guidelines.
What about medical appointments?
We ask that parents make appointments for dentists, routine doctors’ visits, etc. outside of school hours. In circumstances where this is not possible, such as hospital visits, please let the school office know in advance, ideally by showing an appointment card.
How can I request time off for other absences?
Headteachers are only allowed to authorise other absence from school in exceptional circumstances. Absence for family holidays or days out will not normally be approved and may be subject to a fixed penalty notice.
If there are exceptional circumstances, then please complete the absence request form (available here) giving your reasons and providing suitable evidence of the exceptional need. The request will then be considered by the headteacher.
If the absence is not approved, but your child is not in school on the requested days, then this will be treated as an unauthorised absence.
How does the school monitor attendance?
In circumstances where a child’s attendance falls below 95% (approximately 3 days off per term), we will monitor attendance to ensure that it is improved over time. In cases where attendance falls below 90% (6 days off per term), we will contact you to inform you of our concerns and may ask you to come in and discuss how attendance can improve in the future.
In some cases, the headteacher may request that any future absence is supported by evidence (such as a doctor’s appointment card for illnesses).
Does the school issue fines?
In common with other schools in the locality, including River Beach Primary School, Fixed Penalty Notices may be issued by West Sussex County Council to families where a child has missed at least 5 days of school in a ten-week period without authorisation.
Penalty Notices incur a fine of £120 per parent, per child. This means that a family of 3 children with two parents missing school for a holiday could lead to combined fines of £720 for the family.
It is therefore important that school is kept informed of reasons for absence.