Attendance

• Deliver a comprehensive pastoral support programme throughout the year. • Provide you with ongoing help, support and guidance throughout your Sixth Form career to prepare you for your Post-18 options, whatever they may be.

Good attendance is vital for good progress in the Sixth Form. All students are expected to reach at least 98% attendance and 100% punctuality, but should aim for 100% attendance. Please look at the chart below to see the effects of decreasing attendance on attainment. A student whose attendance is 95% (which means she has half a day off per week, or 3 days over a half term), will potentially achieve 1 grade below her ability. This will remain true even if she works very hard the rest of her time at school.

At CFGS, we use an automated system to contact parents / carers via text message if students are absent from school without a reason. If you receive one of these texts, please let the school know as soon as possible why your daughter is absent from school. Please also ensure that you update the school with your phone numbers if they change.

If you have any concerns with your daughter’s attendance, please contact the Attendance Team or Head of Year.

Attendance aims: In order to gain the most benefit from education, students must attend regularly and punctually. Central Foundation expects all of its students to attend regularly and punctually to: • Allow students to reach their full potential • Reduce the level of truancy and unauthorised absences • Ensure the health & safety of students.

If your teacher is absent, then you must register and work in the Aspire Library and complete the work set on SMHW / TEAMS. If you are not in the room when the register is taken, or you leave the room / school without permission then you will get an unauthorised absent “O” code.

Authorised absence

Absence is authorised when a student has been absent and the school accepts the reason given by the parents / carers. Only the school can authorise absences.

Examples of unauthorised absence: • Interpreting / translating for family or friends • Staying at home e.g. for a delivery or electric or gas company • Spending a long weekend away • Taking holiday time (please see Governors Policy on Leave) • Going to the airport • Visiting relative in the UK or abroad • Looking after siblings • Caring for parents / other family members • Shopping

Central Foundation expects that family holidays will be taken during school holiday periods. Following government and local authority guidance, requests to take leave during term time are not granted. Any unauthorised holidays in term time will be referred to the Attendance Welfare Advisor. This policy is agreed by Governors of this school and will be applied to all cases where a request is made to go on holiday in term time.

Registration

Students are expected to be on the school site by 8.30am at the latest and to be in classrooms for 8.40am if they have a lesson Period 1. Any students arriving after 8.40am will be marked late and must sign in using the Ipad at reception. Registration is at 10.40am for Year 12 and 10.20 for Year 13 and all students must attend morning registration daily. You are enrolled as a full time student and this includes Tutor Time, Assembly and PSHEE. Your tutor will be the one to provide you with references for University / College / Employment so it is key you build up a relationship with them. Notices and notes are also gives out during registration so not attending means you will miss important information.

Parents’ / Carers’ responsibilities

Parents / carers have a legal duty to make sure that their child attends school as defined in the Education Act 1996. They also have a responsibility to ensure that their child arrives on time, properly attired and in a condition to learn. Owing to the raising of the school participation age, our attendance, leave and sickness

procedures apply to ALL students from Year 7 to Year 13.

Absence procedures

Unforeseeable absences (e.g. illness / family emergency)

• You or your parents must phone the School before 9.00am on 0208 981 1131, Option 2 every morning that you are absent • You need to complete an Absence Note Form explaining your absence (being ill / unwell is not sufficient reason), and have this signed by your parents and your Form Tutor on your return for your absence to be authorised. • If an absence is for longer than 5 days, you will be required to provide a doctors note to confirm the reason and duration of the absence.

If you are feeling ill during School hours (including during Personal Study Time or break and lunch):

• You must go to the nearest First Aid point (Aspire Reception or Harley Grove Medical Room) to be seen by a member of staff who will discuss the best course of action for you, and contact home if you are to be sent home. • Under no circumstances should you leave the School or go home without permission

Foreseeable absences (e.g. hospital appointment, interview, open day, driving test) • Hand in proof of this such an official letter or email to Attendance Officer or Aspire Reception • Let your teachers know you will be absent and get any work you will miss. • Dentist / Doctor / Optician appointments must be made outside School hours, except for orthodontist and emergency appointments.