ATTENDANCE

Regular and punctual attendance is essential to a child's progress and the school expects parent/carers to do their best to ensure that students attend regularly and arrive on time. A student arriving after 8.50 am and 1.20 pm will lose his/her mark for that session and will require a letter from a parent/carer to explain the absence. If you know that your child is ill, please telephone the school (01943 855682) as soon as possible.

The proper place for a student to be on a School Day is at School!

ILLNESS

If they are not in School, it must be for a justifiable reason, e.g. illness. You are asked to write a note in the Student Planner to the Form Tutor on return to school after absences. If an absence is likely to be longer than three days, please notify us by letter or telephone as soon as possible. Parents/carers are requested to arrange dental and medical appointments for their children out of school time. If this is impossible, students should obtain permission from their Form Tutor and sign out at the Office before they leave the premises.

If a student is experiencing problems, talk to someone first, your Form Tutor, for instance. Truancy will not make the problem go away! It will make things worse.

A record of attendance and punctuality is shown on reports and included in references. This is a statutory requirement for the Governing Body to forward details regarding unauthorised absences to Education Leeds and the DCSF

PUNCTUALITY

• Students should make sure they are at their Form Room or Classroom no later than the times shown on the timetable

• When arriving school, you must make sure that you are marked present by attending Registration

• Your Tutor will mark the student absent in the register if you arrive at Registration after 08.30 am and 1.15 pm

• After 8.40 am and 1.25 pm, you must go to Student Reception and sign in the Late Book, stating the time and reason for your lateness

• If students arrive at School after 08.40 am or 1.25 pm, they must remember to sign in the late book or they will be marked absent. They must also bring a note explaining or acknowledging your late arrival, so that your absence may be coded as authorised

SIGNING OUT

YOU MUST SIGN OUT IF LEAVING SCHOOL DURING SCHOOL HOURS – THIS IS A FIRE REGULATION REQUIREMENT

If you have to attend an appointment during School hours:

• You must bring a letter from home for your Form Tutor to get permission.

• If you need to leave during a lesson, you must show this letter to the Subject Teacher.

• You MUST sign out and receive a pass from Student Reception.

• If you return to School, remember to return the pass to Student Reception.

ILLNESSES AND ACCIDENTS

The School has trained ‘First Aiders’ who will deal with illnesses and accidents, which happen during School time.Please note: the School is not allowed to give any medication to students.

If students are not feeling well, they must:-

• Inform their Form Tutor or Subject Teacher

• Report to Year Managers where they will be assessed. The First Aider may send you back to class if he/she feels they can carry on

              OR

• If the student is unable to continue with lessons, their family will be contacted to arrange for collection and taken home. You will be asked to wait in the Net Centre area.

YOU MUST NOT MAKE YOUR OWN ARRANGEMENTS TO GO HOME

FAMILY HOLIDAYS

If parent/carers are obliged to take their holidays during term time, a maximum absence of 10 days is allowed for students to accompany them, at the Headteacher's discretion. A request should be made in writing in such circumstances. This can, however, have an extremely disruptive effect on a student's progress. In accordance with national guidelines holidays taken in excess of 10 days are counted as unauthorised absence by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).

Holidays in term-time will not be authorised under the following circumstances:

• during national or school tests or examinations
• when a child's attendance is below 90%, or lower than their previously agreed individual target;
• during the month of September,
• for more than 10 days during term-time in any school year.