Attendance

Our students aim for 100% attendance

To achieve their best, students must be on time and in school on a school day unless there is a valid reason

• Be on time for registration
• Be punctual to lessons
• Arriving late with no valid reason will mean a detention

Research proves that there is a very clear relationship between excellent attendance and academic achievement. Our experience shows us that students with the highest attendance achieve the best results. Excellent attendance leads to excellent progress and achievements. 

At Cockburn Laurence Calvert Academy excellent attendance and punctuality is regularly rewarded and celebrated. Students with 100% attendance receive a range of rewards from breaktime snacks to trips to bowling, cinema and so much more. 

If your child is ill:

• parents/carers to telephone the academy that morning, (if possible by 9.00am)
• if this is not possible, bring a letter on return, or complete an absence slip in the student planner explaining the absence

If known beforehand that students are going to be away from school, please bring an appointment card or a letter for the Form Tutor giving the reasons and dates.

Please be aware that the Form Tutor and the Attendance Coordinator will investigate any unexplained absences. This can lead to a student being placed on a persistent absence list, involvement with the Educational Welfare Service, £60 fixed penalty fines and ultimately parents being sent to court and fined at least £120.

The Government has changed the Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations in relation to term time holidays and that this came into force on 1 September 2013. 

As a result, Head Teachers can no longer allow any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. This means that holidays in term time will not be authorised and will be marked as an unauthorised absence in the school register.

Unauthorised absences may result in a Penalty Notice being issued under the provisions of the Education Act 1996 (as amended) which means that you will be fined for your child’s absence.

Note: Payment of a Penalty Notice (from September 2013), if paid within 21 days, is £60. If you do not pay within 21 days the fine is increased to £120 and you have a further 7 days to make this payment in full.

Non-payment of a Penalty Notice within the total 28-day period could result in the commencement of criminal proceedings in the Magistrates’ Court under Section 444 of the Education Act 1996.

Please note the following:

• Time out of school means a break in learning, affecting student achievement
• Attendance falls to 85% by taking a two week family holiday in term time
• Requests for leave can only be granted in exceptional circumstances, and a holiday would not be considered exceptional.  Requests for leave must also be made to the school in advance, as the DfE have told schools that they cannot authorise any absences after they have been taken.
• Nationally, five million school days were missed in the academic year 2011/ 2012 because of family holidays in term time, which is 10.1 per cent of overall absence in schools.  This high level of absence has led the government to make this important change to legislation.

Punctuality

The academy is open from 8.00am, and all students must arrive by 8.25am. Upon arrival students have access to breakfast and can remain in the outside area / dining area prior to going to form at 8.25am. Students who are late to school without a valid reason will be sanctioned with an after school detention.  

Attendance Policy