The school monitors pupil attendance very carefully. Regular spot checks on registers are held and staff are required to register pupils at the start of every lesson.
By law, only the school can authorise absence. Unauthorised absence is an offence and is likely to be pursued by the Education Authority’s Education Welfare Officers. Parents of children absent from school will be phoned on the first day of absence to confirm that the child is unable to attend school. We welcome phone calls from parents on the first day of absence to inform us of a child’s non-attendance. However, whether telephone contact has been made or not, the school will require written confirmation of the reasons for the absence on the day of the pupil’s return. Pupils who do not return a note within two days are liable to be punished by the Year Team Leaders. The school will write home after three days’ absence if we have not been able to make contact with the parents.
We cannot accept notes which simply state that being ‘unwell’ was the reason for the absence. While we do not expect the most sensitive medical information to be passed on in absence notes, some indication of the nature of the illness will be required. The school may ask for medical evidence for absences exceeding a week.
The school cannot authorise absences such as going shopping for school uniform, minding younger children or waiting in for persons who have an appointment at the home. Non-attendance for such reasons is unacceptable.
Appointments should, wherever possible, be scheduled outside school hours. Some medical appointments may be difficult to re-arrange. Routine medical and dental appointments, however, should not take place in school hours. Staff will not permit pupils to leave the premises for appointments unless permission for the appointment has been sought in advance with written confirmation that it cannot be arranged outside school hours, or unless parents confirm in writing that the appointment is for emergency treatment.
Pupils arriving after the register is closed will be marked absent (see above).
There is no entitlement for pupils to be absent to attend family holidays during term time. The school has the discretion to authorise up to ten days in any academic year. Applications should be made to the Headteacher at least ten days in advance of the absence. No holidays will be granted during years 10 and 11.
We have succeeded year on year in reducing the numbers of absences from school. This has been a major factor in the school’s ongoing improvement in external examinations. We are grateful for parents’ co-operation in the school’s increasing success and in ensuring that we keep to the requirements of the law.
A recent innovation has been the introduction of a text messaging service to parents’ /guardians’ mobile phones. This not only helps us with monitoring pupils’ attendance but also provides a valuable tool for better communication with our pupils’ homes. We would encourage parents to ensure that we have their mobile phone numbers as we phone parents on the first day of all pupils’ absence where there has been no prior contact with the school.
Pupils are required to arrive at school punctually for registration in their Tutor Groups. If a child is late arriving, he/she must inform the School Office and obtain a Late Slip upon arrival. Failure to do so will result in the child being marked absent.
Lessons in physical education and games are compulsory. Pupils are expected to be dressed appropriately for the lessons. If a child wishes to be excused from lessons in Physical Education or Games for medical reasons a note from parents is required (for a brief, temporary period) or a medical certificate (for an extended or indefinite period).