Our School Day
| Monday to Thursday | 8.40am – 3.10pm |
| Friday | 8.40am – 2.40pm* |
The school gate opens 8:30am and closes at 8:40am for morning registration everyday.
School finishes at 3:10pm Monday -Thursday, and 2:40pm on Fridays.
*Pupils finish slightly earlier on a Friday so that staff can access continued professional development opportunities to extend and deepen their understanding in respect of autism, learning and Safeguarding.
We want all pupils to maximise their learning throughout the day and encourage all families to ensure their child/children arrive on time before the gates close at 8.40am. Later arrivals may have to wait to be taken to class.
We are very keen on good and timely attendance because of the negative impact learning over time. The table below really puts persistent lateness into perspective.
| Minutes late per day during the school year |
Teaching days lost over a year |
| 5 mins | Over 3 days |
| 10 mins | Nearly 7 days |
| 15 mins | Over 10 days |
| 20 mins | Nearly two weeks |
| 30 mins | Nearly three weeks |
We will require requests for later drop off for your child. Please complete this form each term for consideration by our Headteacher.
Health & Safety
We take pupil security very seriously. School gates are closed at 9am and our children are supervised at all times.
Medical
Medical Health Care Plans for children can be arranged as required and we liaise closely with parents and carers regarding any allergies, illness and prescribed medicines from the doctor.
To support pupils and parents, we are able to administer prescribed medication that is ‘in date’, in the original container which is clearly marked with the dosage. We do require clarification about how the medication is to be administered, in addition to written permission, so please contact the school first. We prefer all such medication to be delivered by parents or passed to us via the coach passenger assistants.
Hedgewood is experienced in supporting children with a range of medical issues, including: anaphylaxis, diabetes, epilepsy and asthma, as well as the care of children who require tube-feeding or support with oxygen.
It is essential that we are kept updated on any allergies that your child may have.
We have half-termly visits from an allocated School Nurse, who is based at Minet Clinic, telephone number 01895484830. If you have anything you might want her to consider, please contact the school.
Personal Care
If your child needs an Intimate Care Plan (ICP) for regular changing, please provide a stock of wet wipes and pull-ups or nappies for your child.
Holidays and Absence
Parents are asked not to take holidays during term time. Our approach to parents requesting time to undertake normal family activities at times when things are less busy is usually sympathetic.
We recognise that the activities parents are wanting to undertake are often very challenging for their children and will be an important learning experience for them. Holidays will only be authorised if there are exceptional family circumstances and at the discretion of the Headteacher. Any such requests require you to complete this form for the attention of the Headteacher giving at least four weeks’ notice.
In the instance of a family emergency, which may result in a pupil’s absence, please let School know as soon as possible. School work will be provided for children whilst on leave.
If your child is unwell and is unable to attend school, please contact the school office, as soon as possible.
A copy of our school Attendance Policy is available here or a copy can be requested from the school office.
Leave of absence form pupils
Reporting
It is essential for you to know how your child is progressing throughout the school year, so we send the following reports to provide regular updates on your child’s learning:
Annual Reviews (ARs)
The family of each child has an Annual Review meeting during the course of the academic year. You will receive a report at least two weeks in advance of the Annual Review meeting, which will include embedded progress data.
Personal Curriculum Plans (PCPs)
Personal Curriculum Plans are set three times a year and reviewed each term, so that you can see the targets set for your child according to their curriculum pathway. You will also receive two ‘reviewed’ PCPs during the year, to show you how your child is progressing against specific targets. These targets are tailored to your child’s individual needs. You can help shape your child’s PCP through discussion with your child’s teacher and therapists. Importantly, your child’s progress against PCP targets will be shared on the SeeSaw learning journey. If you require support to access the learning journey, please contact your class teacher.