At Riverside Bridge School, we believe that regular attendance is fundamental to every pupil's education, wellbeing and development.
For our pupils, many of whom have complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), attending school regularly provides far more than access to learning. It helps pupils build trusting relationships, develop communication and independence, establish consistent routines and feel safe, secure and connected within our school community.
We have high expectations for attendance and aspire for every pupil to achieve attendance of 95% or above, while recognising that some pupils experience barriers relating to SEND, medical needs, emotional wellbeing, transport or wider family circumstances. Our approach is therefore support-first, safeguarding-led and graduated, ensuring that we work alongside families to identify barriers early and provide appropriate support before formal intervention is considered.
Our Attendance Framework below explains how we promote excellent attendance, the support available at each stage, and how we work in partnership with parents and carers to help every pupil attend, achieve and thrive.
Attendance is closely linked to safeguarding. Changes in attendance patterns can sometimes indicate that a pupil or family requires additional support. For this reason, all attendance concerns are considered alongside safeguarding, SEND, medical needs, emotional wellbeing and wider family circumstances. We work proactively with families and partner agencies where appropriate to ensure pupils remain safe, supported and engaged in education.
Strong partnerships with parents and carers are central to our approach. We believe that the best outcomes are achieved through open communication, shared responsibility and early support. Where concerns arise, our first priority is always to listen, understand and work collaboratively with families to identify practical solutions that support regular attendance.
For full details of our attendance procedures, graduated support framework and statutory responsibilities, please download our Attendance Policy below.