Attendance

If your child is unable to attend school you must notify us each day your child is absent via the absence line 01371 878654 preferably no later than 8.45 am with the reason why your child will be absent. Alternatively, you can email pbarry@hrs.education. If we have not been notified of a reason for the absence, you may be contacted via email or text.

If your child is to be absent for more than 3 days, medical documentation will be required for the absence to be authorised.  This includes:

• A photocopy of the medication packaging prescribed by the doctor or nurse or prescription
• A stamped appointment card
• A letter from the doctors’ surgery, consultant or hospital stating the date of the appointment or diagnosis

Every half-day absence from school has to be classified by the school (not by the parents) as either authorised or unauthorised.  This is why information about the reason for any absence is always required.

Authorised Absences are mornings or afternoons away from school for a good reason and that are permitted under government guidelines such as illness, medical/dental appointments that unavoidably fall in school time, emergencies or other unavoidable causes. 

Medical and dental appointments, where possible, should be made after school or during school holidays.  The school understands that this is not always possible, however, students should attend school prior to or following a medical/dental appointment and avoid a full day’s absence.  Medical appointments are an absence and must be recorded as such.

Absences will be recorded as unauthorised if:-

• A student is absent from a session without obtaining authorisation beforehand from the Head of Sixth Form
• A holiday/social event is taken during term time (except due to exceptional circumstances).  A blue absence form must still be completed and signed by Mr Milne
• A driving lesson is booked during a teaching lesson
• A period of part-time employment is attended
• An interview for a part-time employment or training for employment is attended
• A lesson is missed to catch up on or complete coursework or homework
• Lessons are missed where a student is seeking to change or discontinue a course, before official approval has been given

Only the school can authorise an absence.

Helena Romanes School can decide how and when to intervene if they have concerns over students’ attendance. Therefore, every half-term the Sixth Form Manager will identify students whose statutory as well as lesson attendance falls below 96%.

Helena Romanes can sanction and discipline post-16 students in accordance with the details set in this attendance policy.  If necessary the following interventions will take place:- 

Step 1 – If a student’s attendance percentage falls below 96%, a meeting is arranged with the student by their tutor (or Sixth Form manager) to discuss the issue. Appropriate targets are set. The student’s attendance is then monitored closely for two weeks.

Step 2 – If no improvement is seen within the two weeks, the student is put on daily attendance report for two further weeks. This is reviewed at the end of each day by the Sixth Form Manager. A letter is sent home to parents to inform them of this step.

Step 3 – If attendance remains poor, a meeting with the student, parents and Head of Sixth Form is arranged. A maximum of 4 week period of close monitoring is put in place and failure to meet targets will result in Step 4. 

Step 4 – If, despite all intervention work, no improvement is evident, the student is asked to leave HRS.

Parents and carers are responsible for ensuring that their child arrives at school punctually. Students should arrive at school no later than 8:40am unless they are on a school bus and there is an unavoidable delay.  Registration begins at 8:45am and form tutors electronically take the first register of the day. 

Students must report to the sixth form office if they arrive after 9:00am.  Students arriving after the registers close at 9:30am, without a legitimate reason, will be recorded as an unauthorised absence.

The cumulative result of persistent lateness is hugely impactive on the progress and attainment of students.

What does your child’s percentage attendance mean?  Parents/carers often become confused about what good attendance is.  As a school, our target attendance percentage is 100%.