Attendance
If your child will be off today please ring the attendance officer on 01908 624720 option 1 or email attendance@shlacademy.org
Parents should contact the school as soon as possible on the first day of their child’s absence to explain why they were absent. A phone call will be made to the parent of any pupil who has not reported their child’s absence on the first day that they do not attend school.
Registers close at 09:10 in the morning and 13:30 in the afternoon. Any pupils that arrive after these times will be recorded as ‘late after the register is closed’ which is an absence mark.
For term time leave of absence, leave of absence request forms MUST be collected in paper form, from the reception and completed a minimum of 2 weeks prior to request date.
For a 'Leave of Absence' form click here
As far as possible, parents should attempt to book medical and dental appointments outside of school hours. Where this is not possible, a hospital letter or appointment card should be presented to the school office
Holidays/leave during term time
If you take a holiday which is not authorised by the school then they may refer the matter to the Local Authority who will consider the issue of a Fixed Penalty Notice. Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) are issued to each parent and are for each child.
School Day
8.10am - 8.30am Breakfast Club
8.40am - 9.00am Tutor Time
9.00am - 9.55am Period One
9.55am - 10.50am Period Two
10.50am - 11.05am Break
11.05am - 12.00pm Period Three
12.00pm - 12.55pm Period Four
12.55pm - 1.30pm Lunch
1.30pm - 2.25pm Period Five
2.25pm - 3.15pm Period Six
3.15pm - 4.30pm After School Clubs
Coding
In order to better understand your child's attendance certificate it is useful to have knowledge around the codes that are used nationally by all schools.
/ - Present
N - Reason not yet established, will be changed to an 'O' if no reason provided or the school is unsatisfied with the reason given
U - Late after registration closes, this counts as an absence
I - Ilness (Not medical or dental appointment) All authorised illness absence
M - Medical appointment (When unable to book them outside of school hours) Should only be used for appointment and travel time, not the whole day. Other absence on the day should be unauthorised.
Lates
Students who arrive after the bell at 8.40am will receive a 30 minute after school detention.
Students arriving after the bell for period 1 at 9.05 will receive a 60 minute detention.
Students arriving late to lessons throughout the day will receive a 30 minute detention.
‘10 in 10’ attendance legislation
This applies to students who have missed 10 sessions (equivalent to 5 full school days) within a 10-week period.
Regular attendance is vital to ensure that all students receive the best possible education. The Department for Education states that persistent absence - defined as attendance below 90% - has a significant impact on a child’s learning and future opportunities. As part of our commitment to high standards and student success, we will be closely monitoring attendance and taking appropriate action where necessary.
It is important to remember that if your child arrives after 09:10, they will receive a U code, which means they will be marked as absent for the entire morning session (0% attendance for the AM session).
If your child's attendance falls below 90%, medical evidence will be required for the school to authorise any further absences with an I code (illness). Without this, absences will be recorded as unauthorised.
If a student’s absences reach 10 sessions in 10 weeks, parents/carers will be notified, and further steps may be taken in line with national attendance policies. This may include meetings with the school, formal attendance procedures, and potential involvement from the Local Authority if attendance does not improve.
We understand that some absences are unavoidable, and we encourage parents/carers to communicate with the school regarding any attendance concerns. If you require support or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our attendance team.
Attendance Stages For Legal Action
Letter 1
A letter will be sent home when a child's attendance falls below 90%.
Letter 2
A second letter will be sent if there is no improvement in attendance 4 weeks after receiving letter 1.
Warning Letter
A third letter will be sent if there is no improvement in attendance 4 weeks after receiving letter 2.
Attendance Interview
An attendance interview will be arranged if there is no improvement in attendance 4 weeks after receiving the warning letter.
* PACE
PACE will be carried out by the Local Authority if there is no improvement in attendance 6 weeks after the attendance interview.
Court
Court proceedings will occur 11 weeks after the PACE meeting if there is no improvement.