Attendance Policy

Chatham & Clarendon Grammar School takes attendance in the Sixth Form very seriously and we acknowledge that good school attendance plays an essential part in academic development for post 16 students.

All A level and Btec courses are intensive, and students cannot afford to miss valuable teaching and study time.

As well as timetabled lessons students also have non-contact periods on their timetables for private study and independent work.

If students are granted the privilege of studying at home in their non-contact periods, we would expect them to be committed to spending their time effectively, but this privilege may be withdrawn if a student is not meeting his/her work commitments. In such cases students will be scheduled to work within school.

Sixth Form students should strive to achieve consistently good attendance as poor attendance will affect academic attainment. Students should, therefore, aim for at least 96% attendance for the year. An exemplary record of attendance says a huge amount about the student as a person: that they are dedicated, well-motivated, organized and someone who takes their responsibilities seriously.

All school staff will work with students and their families to ensure each student attends school regularly and punctually.

CCVI has an effective system of incentives and rewards which acknowledges the efforts of students to improve their attendance and timekeeping and will challenge the behaviour of those students and parents who give low priority to attendance and punctuality.

Sixth Form Attendance

Chatham & Clarendon Grammar School aims to:
Ensure all students have an attendance record of at least 96%
Make attendance and punctuality a priority for all those associated with the school, including students, parents, teachers and Governors
Provide support, advice and guidance to parents and students
Develop a systematic approach to gathering and analysing attendance-related data
Implement a system of rewards and sanctions
Recognize the needs and support of the individual student in the event of significant periods of absence

Partnership

What the School Expects of Students

Attend regularly, on time and ready to learn
When in school, attend all lessons and arrive to all lessons on time
Register in lessons and tutor periods, attend all other timetabled sessions, including private study, assemblies and PSHE
To sign in at Reception if they arrive later
To inform a member of Sixth Form Team if there is any problem, which may prevent them from attending school
Make every effort to make dental/medical appointments outside of school hours
Provide a written request if they need to arrive late or leave early for an appointment or will be absent from school for a full/half day. This should be written and signed by a parent/carer and given to the Sixth Form Administrator, as soon as possible.

What the School Expects of Parents/Carers

To fulfil their legal responsibility to ensure that their child attends school regularly, on time and prepared for the day
To contact school by telephone on the first day their child is absent for any reason by 8.30am and then on all subsequent days by 8.30am.
To not take holidays in term time
To speak to a member of Sixth Form Team if they know of any problem, which may prevent their child from attending school
To provide evidence to support absence such as an appointment card/letter, or to provide a note, signed by the parent/carer, school explaining the reason for absence
To write formally to the Head of Sixth Form to request exceptional leave of absence.

What Parents/Carers and Students can expect from school

A Sixth Form education that is dependent upon regular attendance at school
Promotion of good attendance and punctuality at school, and regular encouragement and rewards
Accurate recording and monitoring of absence
Prompt action when a problem has been identified
Regular communication with students and parents/carers Absences

Acceptable reasons for being absent from school, set by the Department for Education:

The student is too ill to leave the house
The student has a hospital appointment
The student has toothache and has an emergency appointment
A day of religious observance by the religious body to which the pupil's parent/carer belongs
The student is prevented from attending by an unavoidable cause
There is a close family bereavement
Interviews for courses/employment that will begin after the end of their time in Sixth Form. (Students should not miss lessons to attend interviews, shifts and inductions for part-time work)
University and Employer Open Days – students may attend no more than three of these events in an academic year unless agreed personally by a member of sixth-form team in a meeting with parents.
Work experience – requests for term-time leave for essential work experience (e.g. medicine, law) will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. These requests should be submitted at least a month in advance. Parents/carers may wish to note that there is a scheduled slot for work experience on Wednesday afternoons in lieu of sporting activities or voluntary work. Please contact the school if you require further details.

Reasons for keeping a child away from school that will not normally be authorised:

To mind the house
To look after siblings
To go shopping
To celebrate a birthday
To pick up or drop off at the airport
Sleeping in
One child is ill, so all are kept off school
Minor ailments such as a tummy ache or headache
Because it is the end of the week or term
Driving lessons (tests may be authorised at present if agreed by Head or Assistant Head of Sixth Form)
Adverse weather conditions

If a student is absent from school longer than a period of 5 days due to illness, parents/carers will be asked to provide medical evidence to support the student’s absence.

Parents/carers will also be asked to provide medical evidence if a student is absent frequently.

Leave of absence will not be given to enable a pupil to undertake employment during school hours.

Signing In and Out

It is a legal requirement that we know who is in the school building at all times. Students must make sure that they register every day and sign in each time they are late to school. They must also sign out each time they leave the building throughout the day and sign in on their return.

In-School Procedures

We are keen to identify attendance concerns at the earliest opportunity to give parents/carers, students and the school the ability to intervene early and prevent further decline. We will do this by following the procedures outlined below.

Unexplained Absence Process

If a student is absent from school or from a lesson and we have received no communication from either the student or a parent/carer, a text message will be sent to the named contact on the morning of students’ absence requesting a reason.

A reply is required stating the reason for the students’ absence to enable attendance records to be updated; if no reply is received, this will be recorded as an unauthorised absence. If notification has not been received by the third day of absence, a home visit may be carried out by the a member of the team to ensure that a student is safe. If contact cannot be made during the visit, and there is a safeguarding concern, the school will make a 101 (Police) welfare call.

Attendance Monitoring

Attendance and lesson attendance are monitored each day and daily contact will be made with home where there are immediate concerns. This might include phone calls or text messages. Attendance data will be captured every half term, and this will inform the interventions and support that is put in place.

Lesson Attendance Concerns

Students are expected to achieve an attendance record of 96% or above for all lessons. Where there are concerns around lesson attendance, the student will be placed on a monitoring report sheet so as to offer daily support. The Head of Year will inform home, will monitor the report and will maintain close contact with home via phone calls, email or via details added to the tracking sheet which is signed by the parent daily.

Where there are persistent concerns, parents/carers will be invited into school for a meeting.

STAGE 1

Attendance data will be captured every half term, and this will inform the interventions and support that is put in place.

Attendance or Attendance to Lessons Below 90%
Should attendance or attendance to lessons decline to 90% or below, a Stage 1 letter will be sent to parents/carers.

STAGE 2

Continued Poor Attendance or Poor Lesson Attendance

Should attendance or attendance to lessons continue to be 90% or below, a Stage 2 letter will be sent to parents/carers.
An Attendance Contract will be issued by the Sixth Form Team and will be signed by the student and a parent/carer.

STAGE 3

Failure to Meet the Targets set on the Attendance Contract

Parents/carers of the student will be invited to a meeting.
The student will be asked to meet with the Assistant Head of Sixth Form with parents/carers.
A written warning will be issued if appropriate and the attendance contract will be re-issued.

STAGE 4

Continued Failure to Meet Targets of Attendance Contract

Meeting with Head of Sixth Form to discuss reasons for persistent absence from school or lessons and refusal to engage in intervention procedures.
CEIAG (careers, courses etc) interview will be offered to the student.
The parents/carers of the student will be involved in the process.

Attendance or Attendance to Lessons below 85% Any student whose attendance or attendance to lessons drops below 85% may be invited to an immediate meeting with the Head of Sixth Form. The parent/carer will also be expected to attend the meeting. Should there be no genuine reason or circumstances to explain this level of absence, the school reserves the right to withdraw the Sixth Form place permanently.

Holidays

Holidays will not be authorised in school time. Parents/carers wishing to apply for exceptional circumstances need to complete a Request for Exceptional Term Time Leave form at least 20 school days prior to the absence and submit this to the Headteacher or Head of Sixth Form. Upon receipt of a Request for Exceptional Term Time Leave, a decision will be made (the Headteacher’s decision is final), and parents/carers will be notified of the decision, course of action and how the absence will be recorded on our system.

Funding regulations dictate that a student MUST be withdrawn from their course of study if they are absent for 20 consecutive school days. The Education and Skills Funding Agency does not distinguish between authorized and unauthorized absence for this purpose.