Attendance

The school regularly monitors attendance and reports to both the Local Authority and the Department for Education on the percentage of authorised and unauthorised absences and details of any students who are persistently absent. Regular attendance of above 95% is expected and if your child’s attendance drops below this percentage we will contact you. For information: 90% attendance = 4 weeks missed per year, 80% = half a term missed per year or one whole term missed over the course of your Sixth Form career.

The Sixth Form Leadership Team work in partnership with the School Attendance Officer, the Trust Welfare and Attendance Officer and the Local Authority. Patterns of absence are monitored and contact is made with parents, particularly in situations where attendance falls below the expected rate. We would like parents to work with the school to ensure that all students achieve excellent attendance and punctuality. Full school attendance has a direct impact on students’ learning, development and future success. Where absence becomes problematic and persistent, further action may be taken.

All students must register at the start of the morning with their Form Tutor in their designated form rooms. Registration each day is at 8.40am. Students are registered for the afternoon session by the teacher they have in period 4.

If a student is late into school, he or she must register using the signing in screen in reception. If a student arrives after 9.15am, attendance will be marked as an unauthorised absence as the morning registers close at this time. Any student leaving before the end of the school day for medical reasons or agreed Sixth Form Home Study or agreed Sixth Form Lunch Break must complete the signing out screen, also located in reception. Otherwise, students may only leave early if there is a signed note from a parent explaining the reasons. This note must be seen and signed by the Head of Year and then shown at reception when signing out.

If a student is absent or late due to illness, the parent must inform the school by telephone by 8.30am at the latest on the day that the student is absent and on each subsequent day the student is absent. A specific reason must be given for the student’s absence. There is a designated extension to report absences and the telephone system will prompt you to access this if the reception is not open. 

In addition, all absences must be explained in writing via a note to the Form Tutor on the day that the student returns to school. Please note that the school is not able to accept e-mail notification alone of student absence. Informing the school by telephone on the day of the absence and following up with a letter is a legal requirement and we would appreciate parents’ support over this matter.

Absences during term time can have a serious and detrimental effect on students’ learning. We would urge parents not to take children out of school other than in wholly exceptional or unavoidable circumstances. Parents are requested to make medical and dental appointments after school or in holidays.

The school and the Local Authority take the view that taking children on holiday during term time can be damaging to a child’s educational progress. Children find it very difficult to catch up on the learning they have missed and in the longer term this can have a negative impact on their progress. 

Any absence will only be sanctioned if the school believes that the circumstances warrant it. It is a requirement that any absence during term time, other than for medical appointments, is formally requested at least three weeks in advance using the necessary Leave of Absence form obtainable from the school’s office and on the website. Authorisation will only be granted at the Headteacher’s discretion. Please note that it is not possible for additional work to be set and marked for absence during term time and it will be the student’s responsibility to make up any missed work on return.

Leave of absence for participation in  productions or filming can only be given  when a licence has been applied for from the Local Authority and again at the  Headteacher’s discretion. Sufficient time,  i.e. at least three weeks’ notice, should be  allowed for this process. No absence will be authorised for critical times at school,  e.g. examination periods.

To build increasing independence for students, the Sixth Form Leadership Team will introduce the privilege for students to sign out early at the end of Period 3 or Period 4 if the lessons on their timetable have finished for the day and they are not expected in supervised study. This privilege will be communicated to students and parents after the data from Assessment Point 1 is evaluated, and any student requiring further support will not be given this privilege until they have successfully completed an intervention. Sixth Form Home Study is only to be used for studying at home; the time is not to be used for employment or socialising and if there are any other planned school activities such as meetings or enrichment sessions, students will be expected to attend. Similarly, Sixth Form Games should always be attended where it occurs during Period 4 or Period 5; Home Study cannot be taken at this time. All students leaving site early must sign out using the electronic system. Any parent that does not wish their student to utilise Home Study can communicate this with the Sixth Form Leadership Team.

To build increasing independence for students, the Sixth Form Leadership Team will introduce the privilege for students to sign out for lunch break once student ID lanyards and the electronic system have been set up in the autumn term. This privilege may be withdrawn where any student requires further support for their behaviour or attendance. All students leaving site early must sign out and back in again using the electronic system, returning on time for afternoon lessons.  Any parent that does not wish their student to utilise Home Study can communicate this with the Sixth Form Leadership Team.