Contact details for reporting absence from the Academy:

Tel: 01642 310561 (Option 1) please leave students Name, Year and Reg Group

App: SchoolComms Portal

PLEASE NOTE YOU ARE REQUIRED TO CONTACT THE ACADEMY EACH DAY YOUR CHILD WILL BE ABSENT.

Attendance Matters

Regular school attendance is an important part of giving you the best possible start in life. Students who miss school frequently can fall behind with their work and do less well in exams. Good attendance shows potential employers that you are reliable. Research suggests that students who attend school regularly could also be at less risk of getting involved in antisocial behaviour or crime. Below is a table showing how your percentage attendance equates to the amount of school time missed.

Attendance during one school year	Equivalent Days	Equivalent Sessions	Equivalent Weeks	Equivalent Lessons Missed
95%	10 Days	20 Sessions	2 Weeks	50 Lessons
90%	20 Days	40 Sessions	4 Weeks	100 Lessons
85%	30 Days	60 Sessions	6 Weeks	150 Lessons
80%	40 Days	80 Sessions	8 Weeks	200 Lessons
75%	50 Days	100 Sessions	10 Weeks	250 Lessons
70%	60 Days	120 Sessions	12 Weeks	300 Lessons
65%	70 Days	140 Sessions	14 Weeks	350 Lessons

Unauthorising Future Absences

Should attendance fall to below 92% we will send a letter informing you of our concerns. We will ask for medical evidence to be supplied in order for any further absences to be authorised. This can be in the form of an appointment card, prescription or medical letter.

Unauthorised absences can lead to more formal legal monitoring and you could be at risk of being issued a Fixed Penalty Notice

Should attendance fall below 90% you may be invited into school so we can support you in improving your child’s attendance. A child with attendance below 90% is classed as being “persistently absent”, schools are expected to take action to address this are of concern. We are committed to working in partnership with parents to ensure students’ have the best possible chance of achieving their full potential.

Every Minute Counts

If you arrive late to school every day, your learning begins to suffer. Below is a graph showing how being late to school every day over a school year adds up to lost learning time.

A Reminder for Parents – Leave of Absence during Term Time

As you will all be aware, current attendance regulations stipulate a Headteacher may not grant a leave of absence during term-time unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Each application for a leave of absence will be considered on a case by case basis and on its own merits. It is for the Headteacher to decide what he/she views as ‘exceptional’ and it is at their discretion if the circumstances warrant the leave to be granted. If the leave is granted, the head teacher is able to determine the number of school days a child can be absent for.

Where applications for leave of absence are made in advance and refused, the child will be required to be in school on the dates set out in the application.

If the child is absent during that period, it will be recorded as an unauthorised absence, which may result in legal action being taken against the parent(s), by way of a Fixed Penalty Notice. Failure to make an application for leave in advance can also result in a Fixed Penalty Notice being issued to the parent(s).

All matters of unauthorised absence will be referred to the Attendance & Welfare Service at Redcar & Cleveland Local Authority.

Where a Fixed Penalty Notice is issued and not paid within the required timeframe as set out on the notice, the matter will be referred to Redcar & Cleveland Local Authority’s Legal Services to consider instigating criminal proceedings under Section 444 Education Act 1996.

Parents are asked to respect the new regulations under which the school must work and if there is a need to take a child out of school during term-time, an application or request must be made in advance and make clear how the circumstances are exceptional.

Leave of Absence During Term Time

In September 2013, the Government introduced some significant changes to attendance regulations for pupils at school. Headteachers are no longer permitted to authorise leave for holidays and can only grant leave of absence in exceptional circumstances.