Attendance & Behaviour

LEAVE OF ABSENCE FORM

Please find a link to the form here: LEAVE OF ABSENCE

 
ATTENDANCE MATTERS

Every student deserves the opportunity to access the education that helps them grow, achieve, and thrive. At our school, we’re committed to working closely with parents and carers, teachers, and outside agencies to ensure that every child attends regularly and arrives punctually, ready to learn. 

Together, we share the responsibility of encouraging excellent attendance so that every student can reach their full potential. By promoting consistency and good habits, we help build a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success. 

Regular attendance matters because:

  • When students miss school, it can be hard to keep up with their learning, which can affect their progress and confidence
  • Busy school days make it challenging for teachers to help students catch up on missed work
  • Being in school also means staying connected with friends, developing social skills, and being part of the school community
  • Good attendance and punctuality are qualities that future employers value highly — they show reliability and commitment
  • Arriving on time helps students start the day positively and avoids disruptions for themselves and others 

SCHOOL SUPPORT AND INTERVENTION
We take our responsibility to support students’ attendance seriously. The school follows a clear process of intervention, working with families at each stage to provide guidance and assistance where needed. Our goal is always to work together to help every student succeed. 

 

Every student should have an attendance target of 100% however we will always work with families who for some this may not be possible:

Stage Attendance Boundary Intervention and communication

Stage One 

94% - 92% 

Communication with home to ensure parents/carers are aware of attendance. Raised as concern at Head of Year meeting and SENDco informed as appropriateAttendance is closely monitored. 

Stage Two 

92% - 90% 

Informal attendance procedures commence. Attendance Officer meets with student and adds to the attendance watchlistTargets for attendance set and monitored by Attendance Officer. 

Stage Three 

< 90% 

Formal attendance procedures commence. Attendance review with Head of Year. First concern letter sent to parents/carers. Second Concern letter sent, inviting parents/carers to a meeting. 

Stage Four 

< 90% (no improvement) 

Formal attendance procedures continue. Home School Liaison Officer informedInitial warning issued, attendance panel convened and formal monitoring period begins in conjunction with Local Authority. 

Stage Five 

< 90% (no improvement) 

Police and criminal evidence (PACE) interview takes place with the  Local Authority enforcement team. 

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BEHAVIOUR

Our high expectations of students, staff and parents/carers are what enable us to enjoy a positive learning environment at Richmond School and Sixth Form College.   

 

It is the right of all students, staff and visitors to feel safe at school.  We are an inclusive school and believe that all members of the school community should be free from discrimination of any sort.  

 

High standards of behaviour are expected, and our staff are expected to work restoratively with both high levels of challenge and high levels of support for our students. Staff take a positive approach to managing behaviour and use rewards and praise to establish a positive learning environment. Consequences for behaviour that falls short of these expectations are made clear in the Engagement and Behavour policy and should be applied fairly, consistently and proportionately by staff.  Wherever possible a restorative approach should be used alongside any consequence.  

 

CREDITS 

At Richmond School and Sixth Form College we are committed to our CREDIT values through which we aim to create a platform for our students to develop the characteristics required to be happy and successful in the modern world.   

 

Students are rewarded with a ‘CREDIT’ for demonstrating one of the school values. The CREDITs are added to a total and monitored throughout the year. 

 

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WHEN STUDENTS FAIL TO MEET EXPECTATIONS

A positive and orderly learning environment is essential to enable all students to make good progress and to feel safe and happy. Where behaviour falls short of our expectations or disrupts learning consequences are issued to students as appropriate. Staff will make judgements based on the nature and severity of any incident and students will be encouraged to reflect on the impact of their actions and to work to repair relationships as necessary through restorative conversations. A wide range of consequences may be used as appropriate, including:  

 

  • Consequences (Cs)  

  • Detention after school  

  • Behaviour reports  

  • Removal of social time  

  • Removal from lessons  

  • Removal of privilege to participate in activities  

  • Education offsite  

  • Internal suspension  

  • Fixed term suspension  

  • Permanent exclusion  

 

Our full Engagement and Behaviour Policy can be found here.