To report a student absent please phone 01268 552536

Absence Procedure

• Parents should contact school by 8.30am each day their child is absent – telephone, text or message via the MyEd app.
• If no reason has been received for a child’s absence, the Academy will initiate first day calling.
• Parent must provide medical evidence to support all absences due to illness or medical appointments.
• Wherever possible parents should make appointments outside of school hours but if this is unavoidable students should attend school before and after the appointment.
• If no appropriate medical evidence is provided then the Academies cannot authorise an absence. (ie. medical appointment card, prescription, Doctor’s letter)

Lateness

• Students are expected to arrive to school at the following times: 

  Lower Academy			Upper Academy
  Year 7	08:25		Year 10	08:25
  Year 8	08:40		Year 11	08:55
  Year 9	08:55		Sixth Form	09:25

• Students arriving late to school will receive a break time detention that day, escalating to a lunch detention if they fail to attend.
• Persistent lateness will be discussed at an attendance meeting. Parent / Carers are expected to attend.
• The academy may use the U code (unauthorised absence) for those arriving to school after registers close, 15 minutes after lesson starts.

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 from our website.
• Authorisation of any leave of absence during term time would be an exception and would only be granted at the Headteacher’s discretion.
• The Local Authority 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 by 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 into school to attend a School Based Meeting to discuss their child’s attendance if there are unauthorised absences.
• If further unauthorised absences persist the Academy will make a referral to the Local Authority to see if legal action needs to be initiated.
• The Local Authority 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 by 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.

Leaders give clear messages to pupils about the importance of attending school regularly and this is having a positive impact. Ofsted 2019