Attendance/Term Dates

Hillhouse C of E Primary School recognises that positive behaviour and good attendance are central to raising standards of pupil attainment.

Good attendance underpins our school ethos to:

. promote children's welfare and safeguarding

.ensure every pupil has access to the full time education to which they are entitled

.ensure that pupils have access to the widest possible range of opportunities when they leave school

 

For our children to gain the greatest benefit from their education it is vital that they attend regularly and be at school, on time, every day the school is open unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable. Any absence affects the pattern of a child's schooling and regular absence will seriously affect their learning. Any pupil's absence or later arrival disrupts teaching routines and so may affect the learning of others in the same class. Ensuring a child's regular attendance at school is a parental responsibility and permitting absence from school, without a good reason, creates an offence in law and may result in prosecution.

 

If your child is absent we will:

.Telephone/Text you on the first day of absence if we have not heard from you

. Write to you if your child's attendance is below 95%

.Invite you in to school to discuss the situation with Headteacher and if absences persist our School Welfare Officer, Child and Family Support Worker.

.Refer the matter to the Education Welfare Service to request a formal School Attendance Meeting if attedance deteriorates following the above actions.

If Your Child is Ill

If your child is ill and unable to attend school please inform the school office by phone on the first day of absence or email us at office@hillhouse.efspt.org with details of why your child can not attend and attach hospital/appointment letters or any relevant information available.

 

If your child is absent for any length of time then we request that you  update the school every two days. 

 

Please note: children who have diarrhoea or sickness should be kept home for 48 hours after their last episode before returning to school.

 

If your child is absent for 5 days or more please provide medical evidence e.g: Doctor's note or sight of medicine/prescription.

Lateness:

Our school day starts at 8.40am. The main doors will be closed at that time.  The playground gate will be locked at 8.45am.

 

Any child that comes into the office after 8.45am will be put in the late book, and parents will be expected to sign it and explain why their child is late.

This book is open to inspection by the Education Welfare Officer, who may choose to contact you if your child is regularly late. On the advice of our Education Welfare Officer any child now arriving to school after 9.10am will be marked as late (after registers closed) which will show on your child’s attendance as an unauthorised absence.

 

If you know you are going to be late due to a medical appointment and are having school dinners, please make sure you ring the office to book one in before 9.30am.

Application for Leave of Absence During Term Time

Leave of absence may only be granted by a person authorised on behalf by Hillhouse CE Primary 
school.

As from 1st September 2013, the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) 
Regulations 2013 amended Regulation 7 to prohibit Hillhouse CE Primary school from granting leave 
of absence to a pupil, except where an advance application has been made by the parent with whom 
the pupil normally resides, and the Headteacher considers that there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application. 
 

Taking your child out of school during term time could be detrimental to your child’s educational 
progress. A pupil who takes 10 days absence will only attain 94.7% attendance in the year. 10 days 
absence also means the pupil will miss 50 hours of education.
 

There is no entitlement to parents to take their child out of school during term time, however, you may apply to the school for leave of absence if you believe there are exceptional circumstances.
If the absence is not authorised and the holiday is taken, the case will be referred to the Education Welfare Service who may issue a Penalty Notice for £120 (or £60 if paid within 21 days) to each parent for each child taken out of school.