Hours Missed
Attendance has a big impact on the results that a student can achieve and every lesson missed matters. Programmes of study have been designed by our specialist teachers to maximise every hour of learning and so missed lessons really do mean missed content. (One week of missed lessons at college is equal to 15+ hours of missed teaching).
Impact on Attainment
Recent national research into attendance in a Post 16 setting has found that:
| Student attendance | |
| 95%+ | Almost 25% of students will achieve higher than their minimum target grade (MTG) |
| 85%-95% | Almost 20% of students will achieve lower than their MTG |
| Less than 85% | Approximately 50% of students will achieve lower than their MTG |
Contact
We will inform you if your child has any absences on a daily basis that the college is not already aware of. You will receive a text message before 4:30pm.
Absence Reporting
Reporting an absence
If an absence from College is unavoidable, a parent/carer must contact the student's Achievement Tutor before the student's first timetabled lesson of the day. This can be done by emailing them directly or by calling College on 0113 2946644 and dialling the extension number for the Achievement Tutor when prompted (voicemail active). Please feel free to leave a message or request a call back.
The contact information you need for the student's Achievement Tutor is sent directly to the email address provided for parent/carer within the first week of the academic year. Please call and speak to the main office to check your email details if this email has not arrived.
Student timetables are available on our Cedar Parent Portal and we ask that any appointments be made outside of lesson times where at all possible. The term dates for College are available here. Students are not permitted to 'authorise' their own absence, evidence may need to be shown and Achievement Tutors will contact parents/carers if a pattern of unauthorised absence occurs.
Leaving College Early
If leaving early due to illness or other valid reasons, it is the student’s responsibility to notify their Achievement Tutor and teachers of the lesson they will be missing. Students must email stating the time they are leaving and the reason before they leave college. The absence should be confirmed by a parental email sent to the Achievement Tutor the same day in order for the absence to be marked as authorised.
Authorised and Unauthorised Absences
Absences that are acceptable:
- Illness or accident (must give full reason).
- Hospital and orthodontist appointments that cannot be arranged outside College hours (GP and dental appointments should be made in study periods or out of College time, where possible).
- Religious Observance (we permit 3 days over the academic year with a maximum of 2 days on any one occasion).
- University visit for an open day, interview or learning scheme.
- Careers and apprenticeship interviews.
- Work experience placement that is linked to study programme.
- Funeral of a family member or close friend.
- A driving theory or practical test (not lessons).
All other absences will be recorded as unauthorised, for example:
- Holidays/pilgrimage during term time.
- Part/full-time work which is not part of the study programme.
- Leisure activities.
- Weddings (unless parent or sibling) and birthdays or similar family celebrations.
- Babysitting younger siblings/taking to school.
- Shopping/collecting prescriptions.
- Driving lessons.
Failure to comply with any of the above may result in a meeting with the student's Achievement tutor and/or a reduction in payment of the Student Bursary.
Please note that Holidays/prolonged periods of unauthorised absence can lead to students losing their place at College.
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