Attendance

CLICK HERE TO REPORT AN ABSENCE

CLICK HERE TO REPORT A PLANNED APPOINTMENT

At Linton Village College we are committed to supporting every student to achieve their full potential.  Regular and punctual attendance is essential for effective learning, allowing students to make the most of their educational experience.

Poor attendance and punctuality leads to gaps in learning, missed preparation for assessments and a lack of continuity, ultimately resulting in underachievement and reduced life chances.  90% attendance, equivalent to around 17 missed days of school a year, is likely to result in a drop of 1 grade at GCSE.  Over a student’s school career 90% attendance is half a school year of learning missed. Absence at 90% or below is classed as persistent absence.  This table shows in more detail how the number of days missed can impact learning:

Attendance and Punctuality: Responsibilities of Parents/Carers

• To ensure that your child attends College every day, on time and ready to learn.
• To ensure that the College has up to date contact information.  We will contact you if your child is absent and you have not reported this.  If no contact is received regarding the absence, it may be recorded as unauthorised.
• To report all absences to the College by 08.30am every day that a child is absent. Parent(s)/Carer(s) can complete the Daily Absence Reporting Form or telephone 01223 891233 and follow the instructions to report a student absence. Please provide the student’s name and tutor group when reporting an absence.
• To be specific about the reasons for absence e.g. medical condition and/or symptoms. Follow the link to NHS Is my child too ill for school for advice and guidance.  Follow the link to NHS When to self-isolate for more information about Coronavirus.
• To ensure that routine medical and dental appointments are made outside of school hours where possible.  It is accepted that Orthodontist and Hospital appointments are less flexible.  Please ensure that the College is notified of any medical or dental appointments in advance.  The College may request proof of the appointment.  A whole day’s absence for a medical appointment in the morning may not be authorised.  The child would be expected to return to College in the afternoon.
• To ensure that your child signs in at reception if late, after 08.50am, or if returning during the College day.  The morning registers are closed by 08.50am.  Absence after the register closes may be counted as unauthorised absence for the morning session, unless there is a genuine reason for lateness i.e. medical or other approved activity authorised in advance by the Principal (or those authorised to exercise discretion).
• To collect and sign out your child if they need to leave during any part of the College day other than 3.00pm.

Requests for Absence under Exceptional Circumstances

The Absence Request Form below must be completed in advance by parent(s)/carer(s) to request permission to take a child out of school under exceptional circumstances.  Please email a completed form to attendance@lintonvc.org or have your child deliver the form to Reception.  Parents will receive an email from attendance@lintonvc.org or be contacted by the relevant Head of Year to advise whether the absence has been authorised.

As a guide, the College is likely to grant a leave for exceptional circumstances for the following reasons:

• When a family needs to spend time together due to the bereavement of an immediate family member, crisis or serious illness
• Funeral of an immediate family member
• Religious observance
• Transport not provided by the Local Authority when it should have been
• Children of service personnel about to go on deployment (permission would be considered as long as the request is accompanied by a letter from the Commanding Officer)
• One day of absence could be authorised for a wedding of an immediate family member and the invitation has been provided as evidence
• One off sporting events/performing arts competitions, if the child is participating and is at county standard level or above and a letter has been provided from the performing arts/sports regional governing body as evidence
• One day of absence could be authorised for an immediate family members graduation ceremony/passing out parade

The College will not authorise absence for the following reasons:

• To care for other family members
• Birthdays
• To interpret for other family members
• Where a child has no school uniform/shoes
• Bullying
• Friendship issues
• Head lice
• Learning difficulties
• Family holidays
• Weddings abroad – regardless of whether it is for immediate family members
• Family anniversaries
• Death of a pet
• Travel problems
• School refusal

By law the College may not authorise holidays during term time unless there are very exceptional or unavoidable circumstances.  We ask that parents refrain from such requests.

Parents do not have any right or entitlement to expect term-time leave to be granted and all leave is granted at the discretion of the Principal (or those authorised to exercise discretion).

Attendance Issues

Our aim is for every student to achieve 100% attendance and we are committed to working in partnership with parent(s)/carer(s) to support students to attend school every day and on time and to resolve any difficulties to improve attendance levels for our students.

We expect all absences to be reported to the College by 08.30am every day that a child is absent.  On the third day of absence we may request more information about when a student is expected to return and whether medical advice has been sought. Where issues start to arise please contact your child’s tutor in the first instance.  If absence continues beyond three days then Heads of Year working with the Attendance Officer may request additional medical evidence.

If you are struggling to get your child into College, please do let us know so that we can look to support you in addressing this.  Additional support may be available from Nessie, who provide free support to families in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

All attendance is closely monitored and significant patterns of absence or drops in attendance will lead to contact home.  As a result, we may invite parents/carers and their child to a meeting to discuss any possible barriers to attendance in order to create an Action Plan to address this.  We are aware that every family circumstance is different and wish to work in partnership to improve the attendance of all our students.   The Cambridgeshire County Council website has all the current guidance regarding attendance, including your rights and responsibilities.

Issuing of Penalty Notices

Cambridge County Council provide guidance for families concerning Non-Attendance.  Follow the link to Non-Attendance and the Law for full information.

At Linton Village College, if attendance is consistently below 85% for a period of 4 weeks and we have exhausted the letter system and any other mechanisms of support offered to the child and their families, we may refer the matter to Cambridge County Council.  A Parent Contract Meeting will be arranged, followed by a review meeting.   If this fails the local authority may decide to take more formal action by issuing Penalty Notices, Parenting Orders or Education Supervision Orders.