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.

Coronavirus

It is vital that students complete Lateral Flow Device (LFD) testing at home every Sunday and Wednesday evening. If you forget, please complete the test as soon as you remember.

Please note your child should not take a home/LFD test within 90 days of a previous positive test, in case of a false positive result
If a positive LFD (home) test arises, please log this on Operoo using the form in the ‘Form Library’ and on the NHS website. You do not need to report the result separately to Jill Friese-Greene/ the Absence Line or Leader of Year / other school staff, if you use Operoo. If your child receives a negative LFD test, then you no longer need to report this on Operoo but you should still report this on the NHS website for their data collection.
PCR results should also be reported using the same Operoo form, which will allow you to report the result as soon as it is received.
If you chose not to use Operoo, then you must notify the Absence Line (01403 248111) that your child will not be in school, giving the reason
As a reminder, if your child tests positive using a home LFD test, you must keep them at home and get a PCR test. https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test
For further information and guidance please visit the Positive Test Result For Coronavirus (COVID-19) page on the NHS website.

If your child is symptomatic, then they should not attend school and take a PCR test.

Close contacts who are under 18 years and 6 months are no longer required to self-isolate so should attend school as normal. This makes the at home LFD testing even more important.

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.