BHSA School Information Booklet 2019

ATTENDANCE A regular, good attendance is proven to have the biggest impact on achieving success in school.

Students who attend regularly with an attendance over 97% are significantly more likely to achieve, on average, two grades higher at GCSE than students with an attendance of below 90%.

Our expectation is that students attend school for a minimum of 97% of the school year to ensure they achieve their full academic potential. Parents will be contacted if attendance falls below this level to discuss any problems which may need addressing.

Absences From time to time it may be necessary for your daughter/ward to unavoidably miss school. If this is the case please follow the system below to ensure school are aware of the absence: Planned Absence (typically medical/dental) 1. Letter/Doctor’s note brought into school in advance of the appointment (note covers absence) 2. If student is required to leave the premises during the school day, a PERMISSION TO LEAVE SCHOOL slip will be completed by FT and passed to student.

3. Student to sign out at school office, parent/carer must collect. No student will be allowed to leave the school site without a parent/carer collecting them unless by prior agreement.

Unexpected Absence 1. Please telephone the school absence line before 8.50am for each day of absence.

2. On return to school, an absence note, signed by parent/carer must be submitted to authorise the absence.

Your daughter/ward should not be absent from school for any reason other than illness without prior permission from the Principal. Unauthorised absences will be investigated immediately.

If leave is required for exceptional circumstances a request should be made in writing at least three days in advance to the Principal.

Holidays It is against Academy and Government policy to permit absence for holidays in term time. If a pupil is taken on holiday without permission for 5 days or more the academy will issue (via the Local Authority) a Warning Letter or a Fixed Penalty Notice regardless of the pupil’s overall attendance.

BHSA has longer holidays than other schools and we encourage you to take advantage of these when planning family holidays.

Outings and Consent Forms Any academic events or trips that take place off site will not result in your daughter/ward being marked as absent. Trip Consent must be given using the SIMS Parent App at the start of the academic year to cover all excursions or visits in which your daughter/ward may be participating. If consent is not given then your daughter/ward will not be allowed to go on any trip.

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