Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery School

Attendance 

Attendance

At Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery School, we expect children to attend school every day, as long as they are fit and healthy enough to do so.

Learning and making and maintaining friendships is fun at Holtsmere and that’s why we want children in school every day. Research proves that children with good attendance have increased chances of success in later life.

  • Each child becomes of ‘statutory school age’ in the term after they turn 5.
  • It is your responsibility to take them to school
  • Schools, by law, are not allowed to authorise term time absences, unless it is an ‘exceptional circumstance’. Holidays are rarely deemed to be an exceptional circumstance and may incur an expensive fixed penalty notice from the local authority
  • We monitor attendance on a weekly basis and if your child’s attendance is deemed concerning, below 90%, we will ask you to meet with us to discuss how it can improve and may have to engage with the local Attendance Officer from Hertfordshire County Council

Illness

We understand that children do become ill from time to time and you may feel that they are not well enough to attend school.

  • If your child is not well enough to attend school, we expect a parent/carer to contact the school office by 9.30 giving a specific reason for the absence.
  • We have a duty of care for safeguarding your child, we will contact you if we do not receive a call on a daily basis to ensure we know your child is safe. If we are unable to make contact with you we are required to inform the relevant authorities. Therefore it is really important that you maintain communication with us.
  • If your child has vomited or has diarrhoea they must remain at home for 48 hours from the last incident of illness.

We want to help, if there are valid reasons for absence please let us know and we will work with you to find a solution.

Lateness

Every school day counts but every minute is equally important!

At Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery school learning starts from the minute your child enters the door.

 Our doors open at 8.40 and registers close at 8.55. If your child arrives after this time they will be marked late in the register and you must bring them into school via the main entrance where you will be asked for a reason for your child’s lateness.

We know that mornings can be hectic and we therefore suggest that you aim to get to the school playground for 8.35.

Being 15 minutes late each day is the same as missing two weeks of school!

 

Getting your child to school on time:

  • Is a positive start to the day
  • Helps your child to feel less stressed
  • Helps your child get the very most from their education
  • Establishes routine and ensures that your child knows what is happening during the day
  • Helps your child to maintain friendships
  • Leads to achievement and success!

Of course if there is an emergency and lateness cannot be avoided please call the school office and we can let their teacher know and make sure that a school lunch has been ordered for your child.

If you are finding it difficult to get your child to school on time please speak with us, we want to help.

 

Sickness and Diarrhoea '48 Hour Rule'

From time to time children are sick (vomit) either at home or at school. Unfortunately it is not possible to distinguish between the causes, and therefore it is essential that the same rule of exclusion applies in all cases of vomiting or diarrhoea.

In the Health Protection Agency document, “Guidelines for the Control of Infection and Communicable Disease in School and Early Years Settings”,  the guidance states:

Diarrhoea and/or vomiting commonly affects children and staff and can be caused by a number of different germs, including viruses, parasites and bacteria. Infections can be easily spread from person to person (by unwashed hands), especially in children. In general, it is recommended that any staff member or child with diarrhoea and/or vomiting symptoms must stay away or be excluded from the school or early years setting until they have been free of symptoms for 48 hours (the ‘48 hour rule’) and feel well. Personal hygiene whilst ill must be very strict.

 

If your child is sick at school, we will ask you or your emergency contact to take your child home. They should not return for 48 hours. We appreciate that this is inconvenient in many cases but you will in turn appreciate that we do this in all cases and it should reduce the risk of infection for all children in school. As an example, if your child is sick at lunchtime on a Tuesday, they should not return to school until after lunch on Thursday, provided there have not been any further episodes of vomiting or diarrhoea.

Further guidance on infection control may be found on the Health Protection Agency website.

 

Attendance Policy (pdf 306kb)

Weekly Class Attendance Figures 

Week commencing 28.03.2024

Chestnut 80%
Maple 92%
Oak 96%
Hazel 92%
Beech 90%
Pine 93%

  

 










Well done to all classes who achieved above 96%


Autumn Term 2023 Attendance
September to December 2023

(attendance for 96% and above is classed as 'good')

Chestnut 95%
Maple 91%
Oak 96%
Hazel 93%
Beech 93%
Pine 92%

HAPPY LEARNERS.  AIMING HIGH