To report a student absent please phone 01268 552536

Absence Procedure

• Parents/Carers should call the Academies by 8.30am each day that their child is absent.
• If no reason has been received for a student's absence, the Academies will initiate first day calling.
• Parents/Carers should provide medical evidence to support all absences that are due to illness, this includes medical appointments (ie. medical appointment card, prescription, doctor’s letter). The Academies will then considerauthorisingtheabsence.
• Wherever possible parents/carers should make appointments outside of school hours, if this is unavoidable students should attend school before and after the appointment.
• If no appropriate medical evidence is provided the Academies cannot authorise the absence.

Lateness

• Students are expected to arrive to school for 8.25am daily.
• Students arriving to school up to fifteen minutes late automatically receive a twenty minute lunchtime detention that day.
• Students arriving to school more than fifteen minutes late will automatically receive a one hour detention for the following day. If a student already has a detention set for the next day, then the detention will be booked for the next available dayand could be recorded as an unauthorised absence; late to school after the register has closed.

Holidays/Term Time Leave of Application

• Term time holidays/leave of applications are not a parental right.
• A holiday form is to be completed for any term time holiday request, along with a covering letter explaining the reason for absence.
• The Academies’ Holiday form is available to print here
• Authorisation of any leave of absence during term time would be an exception and would only be granted at the Headteacher’s discretion.
• The Missing Education & Child Employment Services decides if legal action is required. If this does happen a penalty notice of £60 to each parent may be issued by the Local Authority as an alternative to prosecution. This rises to £120 if unpaid within28days. Failure to pay will lead to prosecution. Parents can be fined up to £2,500 and/or imprisoned for failing to ensurethat their child attends school regularly.

Attendance Procedure

• Parents will be invited to the Academiesto attend a school based meetingto discuss their child’s attendance if there are unauthorised absences.
• If further unauthorised absences persist, parents may be invited to the Academiesto attend an Attendance Panel to discuss any issues affecting their progress and attendance. Alternatively the Academieswill make a referral to the Missing Education & Child Employment Services to see if legal action needs to be initiated.
• The Missing Education & Child Employment Services decides if legal action is required. If this does happen a penalty notice of £60 to each parent may be issued by the Local Authorityas an alternative to prosecution. This rises to £120 if unpaid within28 days. Failure to pay will lead to prosecution. Parents can be fined up to £2,500 and/or imprisoned for failing to ensure that their child attends school regularly. Parents should always keep the Academiesinformed if/when their contact details change.