Reporting an Absence at St Richard's

If your child is absent from school due to illness or an unforeseen emergency, please contact the school office as early as possible, and before the start of the school day, to let us know. It is also helpful if you inform us in advance if your child is going to arrive late for any reason.

Our telephone system includes a dedicated answering service for reporting both absences and lateness.

When leaving a message, please provide:

• Your child’s full name and class
• Your name and contact telephone number
• The reason for the absence or lateness

As children reach compulsory school age (5+), schools are required to monitor attendance carefully. If we have not received a reason for your child's absence, we will contact parents or carers to ensure that every child is accounted for and safe.

Illness and Returning to School

If your child is unwell, please keep them at home until they are well enough to return to school. In cases of sickness and diarrhoea, children must remain away from school for 48 hours after their last episode of illness to help prevent the spread of infection.

Medical Appointments

Wherever possible, we ask parents and carers to arrange medical and dental appointments outside of school hours to minimise disruption to learning. We understand that this is not always possible. If your child needs to attend an appointment during the school day, please notify the school office in advance.

Accidents, Illness and First Aid

If your child has a minor accident or injury during the school day, they will be treated by a qualified first aider and the incident will be recorded in the school's accident records.

Should your child become unwell or sustain a more serious injury, we will contact you immediately and may ask you to collect them from school.

If your child receives a bump to the head, a member of staff will always contact you to explain what has happened and provide guidance on the signs and symptoms of concussion to monitor at home.

Working together in this way helps us to keep all children safe, healthy and ready to learn.