Absences

Please call the 24 hour absence line (01403 248111) to report an absence. We are unable to accept absences reported via the Gateway App.

What should I do if my child tests positive/has symptoms of Coronavirus?

If your child tests positive for Coronavirus

If your child tests positive for Coronavirus, you must contact Jill Friese-Greene, Business Manager, and/or your child's Leader of Year immediately. These members of staff are monitoring their emails outside of 'school hours' and this allows us to pick up and act upon news of a new confirmed case as soon as possible. Do not send your child to school if they have tested positive for Coronavirus, or if you are awaiting results of a test.

Staff Contact Details

If your child (or a member of your household) displays symptoms of Coronavirus

If your child develops symptoms of Coronavirus, they must not come to school and should remain at home for at least 10 days from the date when their symptoms appeared.

Please report the absence as usual calling the absence line on 01403 248111, but state clearly that the reason for absence is because your child or a member of your household has developed Coronavirus symptoms.

Anyone with symptoms will be eligible for testing and this can be arranged via https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by calling 119 .

Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-athome-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

**Click here to view letter from Public Health England regarding Covid-19**

Illness

Please call the 24 hour absence line on the first day of absence, ideally before 9am, stating you child’s name, tutor group, the reason for absence and your relationship to the child.
For consecutive absence, a call is not required every day.
A call is expected after a weekend and if the absence is not continued from the day before or the reason is different.
A letter following any absence is not required unless specifically requested.

Lateness

If your child is unexpectedly late, please call the absence line as soon as is possible. Any student signing in late without a valid reason will be issued with a break time detention.

Medical Appointments

You can report any absence due to a medical appointment in advance using the absence line (01403 248111) - please state what the appointment is so that appropriate coding can be used.
You can advise us in writing, in advance, of the appointment. Letters must be addressed to the Attendance Officer.
You can also ring the absence line on the morning of the appointment.
Please do not give your child a letter to bring in with them on the day of the appointment as this is too late and an attendance call will have already been made.

Leaving Early

You can ring the absence line (01403 248111) on the morning advising us that your child needs to leave early, full details must be given so that appropriate coding can be issued.
You can advise us in writing, in advance. Letters must be authorised by your child’s Leader of Year or Pastoral Assistant.
If the Attendance Officer has not be notified, Student Reception will not allow your child to leave the school site without either being picked up in person or by making a phone call to you to check. This may well result in being late for appointments, hence the importance of letting us know in advance.

Holidays

Any requests for holiday absence must be made in advance using our Absence Request Form. Please be aware that From September 2013 the Department of Education amended the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) regulations 2006, removing the reference to ‘family holiday’ and ‘extended leave’ as well as the statutory threshold of 10 days. The amendments make it clear that Head Teachers may not grant leave of absence during term time unless there are ‘exceptional circumstances’.
A hard copy of the form can be collected from Student Reception or Community Reception. Please provide as much information as possible.

Other

Please use the Absence Request Form for requesting absence for Funerals, Sporting Activities, Dance and Music Exams, Rehearsals and any other full day absences. Please note we are unable to authorise absences for Work Experience.
For half day absences a call to the absence line (01403 248111) is sufficient.