Late/Absence Procedures

Here at Hawthorn Tree, we are dedicated to ensuring that each and every child receives the best education possible, this means that we have to abide by laws set by the Government in regards to ensuring attendance is at its best for each individual child. We work closely with the local authority to ensure we are providing the support necessary to ensure each child accesses as much of their education as possible.

There is a direct link between good attendance and a child’s achievement. It is simple, the more time a child spends at school means the more time they have to access the learning needed for their progression.

Reporting a child’s absence – If your child is poorly and unable to attend school, there are two ways you must contact school. Firstly, please call (01205 363031) on the morning of the each day your child is absent between 08:30  - 09:00 or secondly, email enquiries@hawthorn-tree.lincs.sch.uk  with the subject ‘Absence-YOUR CHILDS NAME’, again, before 09:00 to inform the school of the absence. Please notify the school every day that your child is absent.

If your child has been absent for more than 3 days, as a school we will endeavour to phone to check in with how your child is doing and to see if any support is needed. If we do not receive any contact regarding why a child is absent from school we will attempt contact with all known phone numbers as well as possibly home visiting.

Medical conditions – We understand that unfortunately some children have different concerns that will have an on-going impact on their attendance, as a school we will try to ensure that we facilitate any needs for each child. Please ensure that you share all medical conditions and appointments with us so that we can support in the best way we can.

Low attendance – Laws set by the Government mean that extra intervention will be put into place to support children with attendance close to or below 90%, this means that as a school we will contact to make sure you and your child are supported to improve their attendance - this could include 1:1 mentoring/group work from a schools worker from the local authority. If attendance does not improve Fixed Penalty Notice action may be taken.

Lateness - Our school day starts at 08:55 for all children; this means that we expect everyone to be sat in their classrooms ready for their lesson to start. If however, something unavoidable has happened leading to a late start to your day please go to the schools main office. From there we will sign your child/children into school and take them to their teachers. As you can expect we completely understand that at times lateness does happen, however if this becomes a reoccurring issue then it will be brought to the attention of the Mentoring team.  This is monitored through each child arriving late being given a late mark on their attendance record. Receiving a late mark does not bring down your child’s attendance, however it can be detrimental to the progress of their day and often children struggle with going into the classroom after their peers are settled. Due to lateness having a detrimental effect on a child’s attendance, a ‘U’ code is added to a child’s register if they arrive past 09:15. A ‘U’ code affects a child’s attendance by decreasing it by half a day; this impacts on their attendance, their class’ attendance and the whole school attendance. Again if this becomes a re-occurring issue, the matter could be taken further leading to Fixed Penalty Notices. Therefore, please ensure that your child is in school ready to learn on time.

Leave of absence – As a school we cannot authorise time off during term time for holidays or visits to relatives. It is an expectation set by the Government that time off for reasons other than medical issues/illnesses are not taken due to children only attending school for 190 days out of the calendar year. This leaves 175 days per year available that we encourage you to enjoy as a family. Unauthorised absences can lead to Fixed Penalty Notice action. If you wish for your child/children to be absent from school due to exceptional circumstances then please write a letter or email to the school.