Attendance

To report a student absence

Student name
Tutor group
Reason for absence
Estimated length of absence

Text: 07860 034183 before 8.30am

Attendance Matters

Regular and punctual attendance at school is not only a legal requirement but helps to ensure that students are able to make the most of their educational experience, realise their full potential and get the best possible start to their adult life.

Missing time from school can lead to students falling behind in their studies; arriving late to school disrupts teaching routines and can affect the learning of others.

As a school we ask that students achieve at least 96% attendance. We recognise for some this may be a challenging target, therefore we will provide additional support to students and their families to encourage excellent attendance.

The tables below indicate how much learning time is lost as a result of poor attendance/punctuality. Even at 95% attendance a student has missed 10 days of teaching over a school year.

Attendance %	Days Absent Over a School Year	Minutes Late Every Day	Days of Education Lost Per Year
95	10	5	3
90	19	15	10
85	28	30	19
80	38

Please see the links below for full details of our Attendance and Leave of Absence Policies

Key Points to Note:

Too ill to attend?
- A parent/carer should contact school via text on 07860 034183 before 8.30am on the first day of absence and leave the following details:
  - Student name
  - Tutor group
  - A brief reason for the absence
  - Estimated length of absence

Marked as absent without a reason?
- A text will be sent home, please respond via text with a reason for the absence as a matter of urgency so that we know that your child is safe

Proof of illness requested?
- This may happen for extended periods of absence or where a student’s attendance is less than 90%.

Suffering from sickness and/or diarrhoea?
- Students should not return to school until 48 hours from the last episode

Routine medical and dental appointments?
- Should be made outside of school hours.
- For unavoidable appointments to be authorised, a written note signed by a parent/carer will be required. A copy of the appointment card/letter would also be useful.
- Students should only be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary for the appointment, a full day’s absence will not normally be authorised.
- Please give warning in advance via text on 07860 034183.

Late?
- A late mark (L) will be applied to students who arrive in a morning after 8.50am but before registration finishes at 9.10am or after 1.15pm for the afternoon session.
- Students arriving after 9.10am, without a valid reason supplied by parents/carers (preferably in writing), will receive an unauthorised absence mark. They must sign in at Student Reception.

Leave of Absence?
- Leave of absence refers to any pre-planned absence from school (part lesson, lesson, full or part day) that is for a reason other than one related to time off for medical appointments or illness. Leave of absence should be applied for by completing the online form (link below) at least 5 days in advance of the absence; a separate form should be completed for each student. A formal response will be sent to parents/carers. Please see the school’s Leave of Absence Policy for further details.
- Exceptions are: 6^th Form university visits and external music exams organised by the school’s peripatetic music teachers. In these cases, please text the school to give advance notification on 07860 034183 and supply proof of the music exams via attendance@keslichfield.org.uk

Please note that the above applies to all students, including those in Sixth Form

If a student needs to leave school for any reason during the school day, they must have a note from home, which they should ask their form tutor to sign and date. They should show this to their teacher when leaving their lesson and Student Reception when they sign out. Students MUST NOT leave the premises without the permission of the school.

If you are at all concerned about your child’s attendance and would like to discuss it further, please contact their Achievement Leader or a member of the Student Support Team.

Policies

Please go to the Policies and Documents page of our website for the current Attendance and Leave of Absence Policies.