Attendance, Punctuality and Absence
Attendance and Punctuality
To report an absence please call 01202 006692
Then
Press 1 to report a year 9 absence
Press 2 to report a year 10 absence
Press 3 to report a year 11 absence
Press 4 to report a Sixth Form absence
Please leave the student's full name, tutor group and details of the absence.
Good attendance and punctuality is essential if students are to take full advantage of school and gain the appropriate skills which will equip them for life.
The school aims to achieve good attendance (95%) and punctuality by operating an attendance policy within which staff, students and parents/carers can work in partnership. The school will monitor attendance/punctuality and ensure quick and early intervention if a problem is identified.
We are all aware of genuine health reasons that can affect attendance but where possible we hope that students would make every effort to attend at all times. It is now widely recognised that missing 17 school days a year (ie attending approximately 91%) can result in a grade drop in GCSE results and we wish to avoid this where possible The Student Support Managers will encourage good attendance/punctuality and liaise with home and other agencies when this is appropriate. Good attendance/punctuality will be seen as an achievement in its own right and recognised as such by the school.
In order to stress to your children the value of good attendance/punctuality and the importance of their education we expect parents/carers to:
- Contact the school when your child is unwell using the attendance lines that are available for each year group.
- Provide medical evidence at least 24 hours in advance if their child has to sign out during the school day for unavoidable medical treatment.
- Contact their child's Tutor or Head of Year as soon as possible, if they have any concerns about their child's attendance.
Every morning we will contact the parent/carer of any student in Years 9, 10 or 11 who is marked absent from check-in unless we have been notified by telephone or in writing. Please note that it is your child's responsibility to ensure that they attend check-in and if they are late, to sign in at reception where they will be issued with an after-school detention.
Student Attendance Concerns
The school will monitor the attendance of all students. If a student’s attendance drops below 90%, additional support and intervention will be provided. Additional intervention will be provided if a student has any unauthorised absences, and this could result in a fixed penalty notice if appropriate improvement is not made.
Please note that the school operates the “Fast Track Attendance” framework, which aims to ensure that attendance concerns are dealt with quickly.
Absence from Learning in Term Time
The school will not be able to authorise Absence from Learning (holiday requests) during term time.
Leave during term time
The School will not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.
If students are to reach their potential they need to take full advantage of the educational opportunities available to them. Regular, uninterrupted school attendance is a key factor in helping students reach their potential. Every effort should always be made to avoid disruption to a student’s education.
The fundamental principles for defining ‘exceptional’ are, rare, significant, unavoidable and short; ‘unavoidable’ should be taken to mean an event that could not reasonably be scheduled at another time.
In considering whether or not to authorise a request for exceptional leave of absence in term time the School will look at each individual case and only grant authorisation if the circumstances are truly exceptional. Additionally, any request should be made prior to the leave of absence and should be submitted to the School using the Request for Leave of Absence Form. Parents/Carers may be asked to provide additional information/evidence or meet with the School to discuss the circumstances.
Parents/Carers will be notified of the decision at the earliest opportunity. If the circumstances are not considered to be exceptional, then parents/carers will be informed of this and made aware that the Local Authority may be asked to issue a Fixed Penalty Notice if a child fails to attend school.
The Request for Leave form below MUST be completed and then returned to your Student Support Manager These requests will only be considered under exceptional circumstances. |
If the leave of absence is taken without authorisation, it will be recorded as unauthorised. Parents may also be subject to a fixed penalty fine by the Local Authority, in line with government directive.
Examples of Exceptional Circumstances
- Return of parent from active service (Forces)
- Death or terminal illness of a parent, step-parent, sibling, grandparent
- Young Carers
- Disability or Respite Leave
Please note, this list is not exhaustive and if you feel your circumstances should be regarded as exceptional, please contact your Student Support Manager directly.