Why Attendance Matters at St Richard Reynolds Primary
At St Richard Reynolds Primary, we are committed to helping every child flourish and enjoy a rich, happy education. Research clearly shows a strong link between regular attendance and long-term well-being, confidence and achievement right from the start of a child’s school journey.
Education in our Primary School goes far beyond the classroom curriculum. It is where our young children form lasting friendships, explore new talents, learn core Catholic values and build confidence in the world around them. Missing school means missing out on the everyday joy, discovery and community life that shape their early years.
Percentages can sometimes hide the real picture:
- 90% in a spelling or math test is a fantastic achievement!
- 90% attendance however means missing 18 full days of school in a single year, translating to dozens of missed lessons, fundamental skills and crucial social time with friends.
It is also why the Department for Education classifies any attendance below 90% as “persistent absence.” Punctuality is equally vital, as arriving late interrupts both your child’s morning routine and essential early learning activities.
We thank our parents and carers for their continued partnership in helping our pupils arrive on time and ready to learn every day.
What is St Richard Reynolds Percentage rate?
St Richard Reynolds Primary’s overall attendance percentage is 98.4%.
According to Department for Education national data, this places our school in decile 1, placing us in the top 0–10% of all schools nationally.
What is our persistent absence percentage?
Our persistent absence figure is currently 0.0%.
According to Department for Education national data, this places St Richard Reynolds Primary in decile 10, placing us in the best-performing 0–10% of schools nationally for low persistent absence.
How do we report attendance?
Being on time is just as vital as attending every day. A smooth start to the morning sets your child up for a settled, successful day of learning.
Like all schools, we report attendance using standard Department for Education codes, which are based on our specific daily schedule:
- 8:35am – Gates Open and ‘Soft Start’: Our gates open at 8:35am. This soft start window allows children to enter calmly, make their way to class, catch up with friends and complete early morning work and prayer before formal registration.
- 8:45am – Morning Registration: The gate closes promptly at 8:45am, and registration begins. Any child arriving between 8:45am and 8:50am is marked as Present (/)
- 8:50am to 9:20am – Arriving Late: A child arriving between 8:50am and 9:00am misses crucial early morning learning and registration activities and will receive a Late mark (L).
- Unauthorised Absence: Children arriving after 9:00am will receive an unauthorised Absence (U mark) for the morning session. Additionally, if a pupil is absent and we have not heard from you to explain their absence, this will also be recorded as an Unauthorised Absence. An Unauthorised Absence is an absence from school that has not been approved or given a valid reason by the parent, or where no reason has been provided.
Working Together to Support Your Child
At St Richard Reynolds Primary, we want to work in true partnership with you to help overcome any barriers that may affect your child attending school or arriving on time.
Of course, 100% attendance is not expected, as children fall ill and unavoidable family circumstances arise. However, when specific barriers exist, we encourage you to share them with us. One of the greatest strengths of our College community is the warm, supportive relationship between our parents, carers and school staff. Guided by our Catholic values, we will always reach out, listen and work alongside you to understand and support your family’s needs.
Celebrating Excellent Attendance: The 100 Club & Awards
At St Richard Reynolds Primary, we love to celebrate commitment and consistency. To encourage and reward good attendance throughout the academic year, we run several exciting initiatives for our pupils:
- -Half-Termly Attendance Certificates: At the end of each half term, pupils who have achieved 100% attendance are recognised and celebrated with a special attendance certificate to take home.
- -The Weekly 100 Club Draw: Every week that a child achieves 100% attendance, their name is entered into our termly 100 Club raffle. The more full weeks of attendance a pupil achieves, the more entries they receive, increasing their chances of winning a fantastic termly prize!
- Termly Attendance Badges: We formally recognise pupils who maintain 100% attendance over longer periods with our milestone badges awarded at the end of each term:
- Bronze Badge: Awarded for 100% attendance across 1 full term.
- Silver Badge: Awarded for 100% attendance across 2 terms.
- Gold Badge: Awarded for achieving an incredible 100% attendance for the entire Academic year.
- The Weekly Class Attendance Trophy: Attendance is a team effort! Each week, the class with the highest overall attendance percentage is awarded the coveted Class Attendance Trophy to proudly display in their classroom.
Our Attendance Target: Aiming for 98%
At St Richard Reynolds Primary, we are ambitious for our children because we know how vital regular attendance is in helping them flourish academically, build strong friendships and feel a true sense of belonging in our school community.
To help us achieve this, we have set a clear goal for our College family. Our overall school attendance target is 98%.
Reaching 98% means our pupils are present for the vast majority of their learning journey, giving them the best possible foundation to grow in faith, confidence and achievement. Working together in partnership with parents and carers, we are confident we can reach this target and make every school day count!
