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 consider authorising the absence.
• 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 day and 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 within 28 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.

Attendance Procedure

• Parents will be invited to the Academies to attend a school based meeting to discuss their child’s attendance if there are unauthorised absences.
• If further unauthorised absences persist, parents may be invited to the Academies to attend an Attendance Panel to discuss any issues affecting their progress and attendance. Alternatively the Academies will 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 Authority as an alternative to prosecution. This rises to £120 if unpaid within 28 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 Academies informed if/when their contact details change.