Attendance

ATTENDANCE AND REGISTRATION POLICY

Attendance at school is a statutory requirement.  Moreover, it is necessary for a successful school career.  Prolonged and irregular absence can disadvantage students.  The Local Authority, the school, parents/carers, students and the community need to work together to maximise attendance.  Attendance at this school is expected to be at least 96%.  

Responsibilities

Parents	School	LA
To ensure regular attendance of children of compulsory school age. To work in partnership with the school to maximise attendance.	To promote good attendance. To keep accurate and up to date records on students’ attendance and punctuality. To notify the LA of irregular attendance or continuous absence of more than two weeks (not covered by a medical certificate).	To monitor attendance across the Authority. To make educational welfare provision.

ABSENCE

We encourage parents to report any absences first on the student absence line 01753 695077, by 8.00am on each morning of absence. Messages are regularly collected and recorded.  This has the advantage of immediately informing all teachers via our electronic registration system.

A follow-up written explanation is required; please use the dedicated page at the back of each student’s homework diary or send in a signed note for your child to show the teacher on return to school.

The student absence line may also be used to inform us of any advance appointments (doctor, dentist, etc.).  The student should have a note to show teachers and Porterie clearly stating the time he/she expects to be away from the school premises.  In general, we prefer students to be collected from the school itself if the appointment is during the day, rather than leaving the school premises on their own. All students must seek authorisation from their Form Tutor or Head of Year before leaving school premises and must sign out (and back in) using the appropriate signing-out book (as directed by the receptionist).  This is a health & safety requirement. Please try and organise appointments outside of school hours/term time if at all possible in order to minimise disruption.

As a precautionary measure, we check any unreported absences daily and you will receive a text or an email from the Attendance Officer if you have not telephoned the student absence line.

It is very important that the School is able to contact a parent or other adult in cases of emergency.   Please ensure that we always have an up to date number and that, if there is a change in circumstances, we are made aware of it.

Extended leave from school

A request by parents for extended leave of absence (over and above the usual school holidays) should be exceptional. Extended leave of absence from school can result in insufficient coverage of the National Curriculum, and students failing to achieve expected grades in public examinations. A form to request withdrawal from learning should be obtained from the Head of Year.

The school cannot consider a request for family holidays during term time to be an acceptable exceptional circumstance. The LA advises that no student be granted more than one request for extended leave in his/her secondary school career.

Retrospective approvals cannot be granted and the absence will be marked as unauthorised.  Extensions to authorised periods of absence will also be marked as unauthorised.

May we remind you not to arrange any absence during examination weeks.