ATTENDANCE AND HOLIDAYS

ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY

The Sixth Form provides a full time education. Students are required to remain at school during the day but may leave the premises at lunch time if they wish to do so. Students are expected to be punctual in attending school and all lessons. They are required to register with their tutor before the start of morning and afternoon school, except when they have Personal Development Options, when they will register with the appropriate member of staff. Students arriving late to school should sign the Late Book which can be found at either at the Sixth Form Centre reception or at the Main School Office.

If students are absent, they, or a parent or guardian, should telephone the school office by 9.00 a.m. on each day of absence. Students are expected to register every morning at 8.40 am regardless of whether they have a private study at the start of the day. In the case of illness parents or the student must contact the school on each day of absence explaining the reason. If a student is absent and the school is not informed by 9.30am, the school office will contact parents.

Every student will be expected to maintain an attendance record of at least 85%. This will be monitored and we will contact the parents of those who fall below this standard. In a similar way punctuality and unauthorised absences will be recorded. Students who do not meet the required level may be placed on tutor contract and may risk entry to external examinations.

Students may not take driving lessons during school hours and should make every effort to make appointments to visit doctors, dentists and for driving tests outside teaching time. However if a student has to leave school during the school day they should sign out in the Sixth Form Signing Out Folder which can be found either at the Sixth Form Centre reception or at the Main School Office. Students must inform their Head of Year or the Receptionist if they are going home unwell and parents must be informed.

HOLIDAYS IN TERM TIME

Parents are strongly advised not to take family holidays in term time. Work will not be repeated and the relatively short time between teaching and assessment, means that students missing substantial periods of time may be seriously disadvantaged. If on a special occasion this seems unavoidable it is essential that students ensure they are aware of and record critical dates for examinations and coursework deadlines so that these may be avoided, if at all possible. Requests for any absence require the permission of the Headteacher and these should be made in writing as far in advance as possible and marked for the attention of Mrs Watson. On no account must holidays be taken, or University Visits arranged during the AS Protected Teaching Time and A2 Protected Teaching Time.

OUT OF SCHOOL ACTIVITES

Students who wish to take part in musical or dramatic performances lasting more than three days must ask permission of the Headteacher. Requests should be made in writing as far in advance as possible and marked for the attention of Mrs Watson.

PART TIME EMPLOYMENT

Part time employment can provide a valuable insight into the world of work but it can also detract from the amount of time and effort that students devote to their studies. Students are discouraged from taking employment for more than 8 hours per week or on weekdays because this is likely to affect their examination performance.

UNIVERSITY VISITS

Students are encouraged to visit institutions when they are formulating Higher Education plans. However the responsibility for organising such visits and ensuring the safety of the students is the responsibility of individual families.