Attendance

If your child needs to be absent from school for any reason please contact the Academy by 8 am on each day of absence.  Please contact the Attendance Team on our direct line, 01228 822070 or alternatively if ringing the main switchboard on 01228 822060 please select,  Option 1.

If we have no contact regarding your child’s absence Truancy Call will be sent (automatic call system).  It is of vital importance that you respond to the text to ensure that your child’s whereabouts are known and that they are safe. A phone call will also be made by your child’s Form Tutor or Head of Learning.

Please endeavour to keep health appointments to the beginning or end of school days thus allowing at least half a day education and provide evidence of appointment letter, appointments card, text etc.  If your child is absent for 5 or more days we request that medical evidence of some kind is provided to cover absence, this is to help in avoiding any unnecessary involvement from the Attendance Officer and Inclusion Officer from the Local Authority due to medical reason.  The Head of Learning and Attendance Team will support your child to return.

We strongly discourage student leave in term time.  The Principal will only approve holidays in exceptional circumstances. If you must remove your child from the Academy please complete an absence request form. This form is available from Reception. If the leave is not authorised you may receive a Penalty Notice Fine. 

Student attendance is a high priority at Central Academy.  We will take appropriate actions to ensure that all students achieve the maximum  possible attendance and that any problems that impact attendance are acted on as quickly as possible.  This support for attendance is achieved through our Pastoral, Academic and Attendance Team.  The Department for Education (DfE) announced that any student whose attendance falls below 90% will be classed as a Persistently Absent student.

• 90% attendance = ½ day missed every week
• 90% attendance over 5 years of school = ½ a school year  missed
• 1 school year at 90% = 4 whole weeks of lessons missed, that’s 120 lessons
• 5 minutes late every day = 18 lessons lost each year
• 15 minutes late each day= 60 lessons lost each year
• 30 minutes late each day =120 lessons lost each year
   

	Your attendance is  below 95%  This is a serious concern
	Your attendance is between 95% and 97.9% This needs to be improved
	Your attendance is 98% or above WELL DONE