Hazel Wood High School is committed to the continuous raising of achievement of all our students. Regular attendance is essential if our students are to be successful and benefit from the opportunities offered to them in school, through their education.
Good attendance is fundamental to a successful and fulfilling school experience. We actively promote 100% attendance for all our students and we use a variety of weekly, termly and annual awards to promote good attendance and punctuality.
We recognise that parents and carers have a vital role to play and there is a need to establish strong home-school links and communication systems that can be used whenever there is concern about attendance.
If there are problems which affect a pupil’s attendance we will strive, in partnership with the family and pupil, to resolve those problems as quickly and efficiently as possible.
We will consistently work towards a goal of 100% attendance for all children and celebrate this in assemblies and at rewards events, with all pupils being recognised for this super achievement each half term. We also celebrate with the pupils who have above 96% attendance, which is above the national average for attendance and our school target.
We also recognise that some pupils cannot achieve 100% attendance and we understand this, particularly when families communicate with us effectively and share information. We always celebrate improvement and where a pupil has made a considerable progress in improving their percentage of attendance.
Every opportunity will be used to convey to pupils, and their parents or carers, the importance of
regular and punctual attendance, through letters, emails, the web site and also by telephone.
In this section, we will answer any frequently asked questions you may have around attendance and how we can work together to ensure your child uses every opportunity to learn.
If you have any questions about attendance, please do not hesitate to contact school and ask for Mrs Neville in the first instance.
What do I need to do if my child is unwell?
Should your child be unwell and unable to attend school please:
- Contact HWHS via telephone and press option 1 for reporting an absence.
- Follow this up with a note in the child’s planner where possible.
If your child is unwell the following day it is important that you contact us and let us know every day they are not in school.
Should your child be absent for five or more days you will be asked to provide medical evidence in the form of a doctor's note or prescription.
If we do not know why your child is not in school then this absence would be classed as unexplained. It is essential that school knows where your child is should they not be in school and this means that we will need to contact you to find out why they are not in school.
I need to make a medical appointment for my child, when is the best time to do this?
We ask, wherever possible, that you make any appointments outside of the school day.
If you need to take your child out of school for a medical appointment, or they are due to arrive later/finish earlier due to an appointment, then we please ask you to provide us with medical evidence of the appointment. This can be in the form of an appointment card, text, email, or letter.
Can I take my child on holiday during term time?
Full school attendance is vital for your child’s progress and attainment.
School attendance regulations make it clear that leave of absence during term time may not be granted by Head Teachers unless there are exceptional circumstances.
If you feel this is an exceptional circumstance, please contact reception or our Attendance Officer for a Holiday in Term Time request form. This must be filled out fully, and returned to school where the Head Teacher will make a final decision based on school attendance regulations.
Why is attendance so important?
The Attendance Ladder on this page shows why attendance in school is so important for your child. For every day your child is absent, they lose 5 hours of learning.
Over a year, a child with 90% attendance will lose 18 school days. Should your child have 90% attendance throughout their time at Hazel Wood High School they will effectively lose half a year of schooling.
We actively promote 100% attendance for all our students and celebrate with the pupils who have above 96% attendance. Use the ladder to see where your child is currently at and challenge them to the next rung.
We recognise that some pupils cannot achieve 100% attendance and encourage you to work with us so that we can celebrate improvement together.
What to do if you are worried?
We want to work with you to support your child in their education.
Please contact us as soon as you realise your child is experiencing difficulties.
Should you be aware of a change in circumstances that may impact on your child's attendance please speak with us. It may be that your child helps with caring responsibilities or there is an issue with transport but we need to know so that we can work with you to ensure your child is able to attend school and learn.
Please contact school and ask to speak with Mrs Neville, or your child's Pastoral Year Leader.