Post 16 Expectations

The academy values excellent student attendance. It recognises this plays an essential part in ensuring our students achieve to their best ability in all areas of school life.

We are proud of our students’ good attendance record and monitor individual student’s attendance to ensure they are accessing all available aspects of their education. 

Students whose attendance is good: (95% +) 

• Make progress and have a better understanding of lessons 
• Achieve their best results 
• Sustain friendships 
• Are rewarded and recognised each half term

Students whose attendance is unsatisfactory: (under 90%) 

• Get behind with their work and have gaps in learning 
• Do not understand lessons so well 
• Achieve lower grades than their potential indicates 
• Find it more difficult to maintain friendship groups 

Parents whose young person’s attendance continues to be unsatisfactory: 

• Need to support their young person to feel positive about school and value their education 
• There is a legal requirement for you to ensure your child attends regularly 
• Need to contact school to discuss any difficulties so that an action plan can be put in place 
• May be asked to provide medical evidence for each period of absence  

• Ensure their young person attends 1:1 meetings with a mentor and completes their support plan in the given time period

ESFA guidelines state that the Academy must withdraw students from their 16 to 19 programmes if they do not return to learning after being absent for more than 20 college days, i.e. on the 21st day of continuous absence.

Medical appointments should be made outside of school hours. Where this is not possible, students should attend prior and/or post the appointment dependent on appointment time. 

These reasons for being absent are NOT ACCEPTABLE (this list is not exhaustive)

• Shopping 
• Looking after younger siblings
• Birthdays 
• Oversleeping 
• Driving lessons
• Staying at home for deliveries/work to be carried out 
• Paid work 
• Holiday 
• University Open Days, when alternative weekend dates are available

The Post 16 team will call or email parents/carers where a call has not been received regarding a student absence.

Year 13 students can earn off-site privileges to take a period 5 lesson off site, if their attendance, progress and behaviour is positive – this is at the discretion of the Head of sixth form. 

All sixth form students must be at all their lessons on time. If students are late to their lessons, unless for a legitimate reason, they will incur a late minute detention at lunchtime. Any truancy from lessons will be allocated a 30 minute detention in the Post 16 area and persistent lateness will mean a Friday lunch detention.

The law gives NO entitlement to parents/carers to take their young person on holiday during term time. Any application for leave must only be in exceptional circumstances and the Headteacher must be satisfied that the circumstances are exceptional and warrant the granting of leave. Headteachers would not be expected to class any term-time holiday as exceptional. 

If there is a need to request special leave, such as for hospital appointments, driving tests, university/apprenticeship visits etc., this can be done by completing a Request for Special Leave Absence Form. These can be collected from Miss Perks, our Assistant Head Of Post 16, in the sixth form area.

Please note that driving lessons should not be booked during lesson time or the school day. General medical appointments should not be booked during lesson time or Structured Study, unless essential. University or apprenticeship visits and driving tests are authorised in school time.

All year 12 & 13 students are expected to be in school from 8.20 am – 2.55 pm, Monday to Friday and attend morning tutorials – once you have attended this session, staff will sign you.

Lanyards MUST be worn at ALL TIMES for safeguarding purposes in and around the academy. If a student does not have their lanyard when they arrive at the academy, they will not be given access into the school. 

Once consent is given by parents/carers, students will be allowed off-site at break and lunchtime only. Students MUST sign out and in on the Post 16 iPad which is located at the main academy reception – this is an important health and safety & safeguarding requirement and must be followed at all times, by all students. 

If students need to leave site for a Sixth Form Advanced Notice of Absence appointment students must complete the absence form from Miss Perks (including providing evidence of the appointment) and sign out with Miss Perks first in the Sixth Form before leaving through the main reception.

What does ‘good’ attendance mean? 

• 95% to 100% attendance – when a student arrives on time and attends every lesson, every day. 

What does ‘unsatisfactory’ attendance mean? 

• Attending 90% of the time or less. This will have a negative effect on learning and personal outcomes. 
• Continual lateness to tutorial sessions and lessons. 

When can/should I keep my young person away from school? 

The school can authorise an absence in the following circumstances: 

• Genuine illness 
• A family crisis
• Religious observance 

What should parents/ carers do if their young person is absent? 

• Before 8.20 am, either call the school absence reporting line or email the academy. 
• If calling to advise a student absence, phone the academy on 0121 329 4600, then press 1 for absence line.
• If emailing to advise a student absence, do this by emailing leanneperks@graceacademy.org.uk 
• In both cases, please clearly state your young person’s name, tutor group and the reason for absence. 
• Please note that we require a call each morning for any/all student absences. 
• You are also able to call outside of academy time to report a student absence as the telephone line has an answer phone so is available 24 hours a day.  

What are the main academy timings to ensure students are punctual each day?

• Morning Tutorial lessons are from 8.20 am 
• The day ends at the end of Period 5 at 2.55 pm

Points to Note:

• One day’s absence every two weeks will give 90% attendance.
• We require parents/carers continued support in ensuring your child’s attendance remains consistent, including after they turn 18, as they are still legally expected to remain in full-time education or training.