Hexthorpe Primary Academy Astrea Academy Trust
It is really important that children have good school attendance and punctuality. The classroom doors open at 8.35am in the morning to enable children to have a prompt start to their learning.
Children who arrive late can be unsettled and this may have a negative impact on their learning. We promote good attendance every week throughout the school including weekly celebrations and awards and half termly prize draws which the children really respond to and enjoy. If you ever wish to speak to your child’s class teacher that’s easily arranged at a mutually convenient time, all you need do is ask. Members of SLT are on the gates every morning and at breakfast club to help you.
Attendance and punctuality are monitored daily by the Safeguarding team and the Educational Welfare Service if necessary. Any attendance lower than 96%, can become a cause for concern.
School Attendance Matters – Good time keeping
Astrea Academy Attendance Tree
LATE ARRIVAL AT SCHOOL
At 8.45 am, the classroom doors are closed. If you arrive late, you must enter school by the main reception area and register your child through the Safeguarding team or office staff. At this point your child will order their dinner.
ABSENCES
It is important to let the school know about any absence. Please inform the school office before school starts, either via the My Child at School app, a telephone message or from 8am you can ask to speak to a member of the Safeguarding team. It is very important that you do this because the school has a duty of care to chase up absences. In addition to this we can offer support.
If you need to collect your child for any reason during the school day, please report to the school office. Although medical and hospital appointments cannot always be avoided, to minimise disruption to your child’s education, it would be appreciated if you would try to arrange optician and dental appointments outside school hours. If this is not possible, please remember to tell us before the time of absence, evidence will be asked for.
EMERGENCIES
Parents are asked to ensure that we are kept informed about any changes of contact details. It is vital we can contact someone during the school day should your child become ill or has an accident. We ask you to give us alternative emergency number (in line with Safeguarding polciies) in case we are unable to contact you. Similarly, if someone else is picking up your child, please let school know in advance.
HOLIDAYS
In line with Government legislation, no requests for holidays can be authorised except in exceptional circumstances. The Local Authority’s definition of an exceptional circumstance is:
- Where it is company/organisational policy for an employee to take leave at a specific time in the year and there is no opportunity for a family holiday in school holidays. This must be evidenced by production of the policy document of the organisation. However, this will be at the principal’s discretion and good school attendance will be taken into consideration.
- Service personnel returning from/scheduled to embark upon a tour of duty abroad.
Evidence must be provided for all of the above. If you are therefore eligible to request a holiday, please follow the school’s guidelines.
All leave of absence must be applied for by completing a form available from the school office.
If you take your child on holiday during term time without the authorisation of the principal, the school may inform the LA who could issue a Fixed Penalty Notice. If a FPN is issued the penalty is £60 per child, per parent/carer when the payment is made within 21 days, after 28 days it will increase to £120. Failure to pay within 28 days will result in a summons to appear before the Magistrates Court on the grounds that the parent/carer has failed to secure their child’s regular attendance at school.