Attendance and Absence
Absence
We know that learning is at the heart of any route to success. We believe that all our children at Hardwick Primary School have the potential to, and deserve to achieve anything they set their minds to. In order to do that it is so important that your child is in school as much as possible so that the teachers can do what they do best, educate and help children learn to reach to their full potential. It is a requirement that all children attend school for 95% or more of the available sessions in an academic year. There are 175 non-school days each year for family time, holidays and appointments. When attendance drops below 95%, children are spending more time out of school than in school during any one year.
Should attendance drop below 95%, you will be informed by the teacher and may be contacted directly by the headteacher. Should absence figures become a continual problem, you may be reported to the County Council Attendance Officer and you may be subject to a fine. There will be termly attendance awards for any child who achieves above 95% or 100% attendance.
Our Senior Attendance Champion is Mrs Taylor, our Headteacher.
Top Tips to Improve Attendance and Punctuality
Achieve Amazing Attendance!
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Running late? Just get here as soon as you can - better late than never - let us know with a phone call if possible.
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Make doctors and dentists appointments during the school holidays or after school. If you can only make an appointment during the school day, make it for the afternoon and bring your child into school first to get the correct mark in the register. If possible, your child should return to school after their appointment.
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Teach your child good hygiene - regular hand washing and using a tissue will help prevent them picking up or passing on bugs that lead to absence due to illness.
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Avoid taking your child out of school during term time and remember your child is not automatically entitled to any leave. If you need to take time out of school during term time you can complete a request for absence from school form available from the school office. All requests will be assessed on their own individual merit. You may be issued a penalty notice by the Local Authority if you continue with leave that is not authorised by the school.
Perfect Punctuality Pointers!
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Remember classroom doors open at 8:40 AM and all children should be IN CLASS before 8:50 AM.
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Get your child their own alarm clock.
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Get everything ready the night before - uniform, packed lunch, PE kit ... Don't forget the breakfast things.
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Come even earlier and join us for breakfast and/or games in our breakfast club- open 8:00AM (this can be booked via ParentPay) every weekday.
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Set that alarm clock five minutes fast.
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Don't allow TV or computer games before everyone is ready - if at all.
Too sick for school?
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Children get colds and headaches often but don't always need to miss a full day of school. Try getting them to eat something, drink plenty of water or if necessary, give a suitable medication according to packet or GP instructions.
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If they feel better later on, bring them to school, even if they have missed the morning - just give us a quick call to let us know when to expect you.
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Use us. It is better to send your child to school in all circumstances. If we feel they are too unwell to stay we will send them home. You cannot be referred for poor attendance if the school makes the decision for your child to remain at home.
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You may be asked to provide medical evidence for other absences. This does not mean that you have to get a note from the GP. Evidence can be in the form of; an appointment card, attendance note, prescription or prescribed medication (Labelled and dated).
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If your child is likely to be absent due to a long-term illness, please come and speak to us so that we can put a plan of support in place.
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If your child breaks a bone, they should be able to attend school very soon after a cast or splint is applied, if this is not the case, you should provide an explanation and evidence, including how long they will likely be absent for. Remember: alternative arrangements can be made to ensure your child is safe in school while they are healing. If they can't write, they can still listen and learn in other ways.
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Please Note: A phone call or email to the school office should be made the morning of everyday your child is unwell and not able to attend school.
Absence and Penalty Notices
If a family feels leave in term time is unavoidable, a Grant for Leave of Absence in Exceptional Circumstances must be completed at least two weeks prior to the leave date. This can be obtained from the School Office.
All schools are required by law to report to the LEA continual child absence or irregular attendance. The Education Welfare Service is the attendance support of the LEA. Education Welfare Officers are consulted when schools experience difficulties in determining if an absence is justifiable. An Education Supervision Order is used when a child is registered at the school but is not attending regularly. Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) may be issued where, in consultation with the EWO, attendance is poor. A parent or carer may also be prosecuted for failure to ensure regular attendance at school.
