It is a parents/carers responsibility to ensure their child attends the academy regularly and on time. Whilst we appreciate that sometimes absence is unavoidable, due to illness, medical appointments or holidays taken during term time, it will still impact your child’s attendance and in turn their attainment. It is proven that attainment is connected to good attendance, missing crucial time at the academy could have an impact on any exams that your child may be taking. Remember that one day’s absence is 5 lessons missed, one week’s absence is 25 lessons missed. This is valuable learning time that cannot be given back. Your child misses out every time they are absent from the academy, so consider this and make medical or dental appointments outside of academy hours where possible.
The Academy works in partnership with the Attendance and Prosecution Service to ensure regular attendance from all of its students and to assist and support students and their families. If your child is not attending the Academy regularly, the absence has not been authorised by the academy and there has been no improvement following the academy’s attempts to get an improvement, an Attendance and Prosecution Officer may visit you. This may result in legal action being taken.
The academy day starts at 08:40. All students should be in their classroom at this time. Registers are marked by 08:45, and students will receive a late mark if they are not in their classroom by this time.
Students are expected to attend every day and on time. We take punctuality very seriously at the academy, therefore any student arriving to the academy or lessons late are monitored by our Attendance Team, Heads of Year, Form Tutors and/or subject staff (as appropriate) and a hierarchy of sanctions are used dependent on the persistence/severity of the lateness.
We require parents/carers to observe the term times of the academy and we may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Exceptional circumstances do not include family holidays, visiting relatives or friends, to be a spectator at sporting or other events, looking after unwell family members, baby sitting younger family members, birthdays, shopping, etc.
If parents/carers choose to take their child out of school during term time without leave of absence being granted then it will be recorded as an unauthorised absence on the school register. The academy will also make a referral to the Attendance and Prosecution Service for students who take an unauthorised leave of ten days or more. Such a referral may lead to a Fixed Penalty Notice being issued. Parents/carers who fail to ensure their child’s regular attendance can be fined £60 (per parent, per child). If the payment is not made within 21 days this increases to £120.
If parents/carers consider that a “request for leave of absence” during term time is for “exceptional circumstances” then a written request should be made to the Vice Principal. Each request will be considered on an individual basis in consultation with the Principal.