UTC 2 – Attendance and Punctuality Policy
UTC 2 encourages 100% attendance and punctuality for all our students. UTC 2 expects all
students to attend regularly and arrive at lessons on time, in order to take full advantage of the
educational opportunities available to them. We expect that parent/carers will ensure that their
child arrives at UTC 2 on time and support UTC 2’s policies and procedures regarding attendance
and punctuality.
UTC 2 will ensure:
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All staff understand their role in ensuring good attendance and punctuality
Regular attendance monitoring by Learning Managers in liaison with the Assistant Principal
Students with poor attendance and/or punctuality are challenged and students with good
attendance and/or punctuality are rewarded
Students and their parent/carers are made aware of the importance of good attendance
and punctuality
Parents/Carers
Parents/Carers have a legal duty to send their children to school regularly and risk prosecution if
they fail in this duty. Only UTC 2, within the context of the law, can approve absence.
Parents/Carers cannot approve absence.
Parents/carers should attempt to arrange appointments for their child outside UTC 2 hours
whenever possible. When the appointment is local, the student will be expected to attend UTC 2
before and/or after the appointment.
If a student misses school without good reason, the LEA can issue Penalty Notices, as one of a
number of legal powers, to parents. These fines must be paid within 28 days and failure to pay
may lead to prosecution in Magistrates Court.
Students
Each student must ensure that they are in their first lesson each day by 8.30 am. He/she must
also attend all timetabled lessons punctually. Students must ensure they are registered for Project
periods.
No student in years 10 and 11 may leave UTC 2 premises during the school day without
permission from a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). Permission will normally only be
given for authorised medical/dental appointments. All students must sign out at Reception and
obtain an Authorised Absence Slip, which gives proof of their authorisation to be off-site.
Post-16 students may leave UTC 2 premises at lunchtime and should comply with specific rules
set out by UTC 2. Students who are absent, without permission, will be placed on Report and their
parents will be informed.
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Registers
Registers are completed using UTC 2’s PARS information system (a paper copy is always
available should the PARS system not be operable). Registers are to be fully completed at each
registration session – no “gaps” can be left.
Registers are legal documents and must be taken clearly and accurately, using the correct
symbols/codes. No student may take a register.
Learning Managers
Learning Managers will monitor attendance and punctuality regularly for overview of attendance
problems and to check that teaching staff are completing registers correctly. They must discuss
attendance problems with Form Tutors to share information. Where attendance is a cause for
concern, Learning Managers will take relevant action e.g. telephone parents to discuss the
problem. If attendance does not improve, they will request parents attend the UTC for a meeting
with staff concerned.
If truancy is discovered, the Learning Manager will inform the student’s parents and Form Tutor the
same day.
Teaching Staff
Subject teachers must always follow up suspicious absences by informing the Form Tutor of any
discrepancies immediately. They should query persistent or frequent absences with the Form
Tutor to ensure that it is not “selective truancy”.
Subject teachers will attempt to support students who have been absent in making up missed
work.
Form tutors will ensure that ‘N’ reports are actioned every Monday so that registers can be
updated. They will also ensure that all absences are covered by an appropriate note from home.
Illness during the School Day
If a student becomes unwell during a lesson he/she will be sent to Reception by the teacher in
charge.
At Break or Lunch Time, students feeling unwell can go directly to Reception and report their
condition.
Trained staff will then assess the illness and make decisions (through Learning Managers/SLT)
about whether parents need to be informed and whether a student will be sent home/collected by
parents.
No student should leave UTC 2 premises for such arising medical reasons without staff
permission.
Absence Procedure
On the first day of a student’s absence from UTC 2, parents/carers should contact UTC 2
Reception, by telephone and at the earliest opportunity, giving a reason for the absence and a date
when the child is expected to return.
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On a student's return, parents/carers must provide her/him with a signed letter to explain the
absence. If an acceptable reason for absence is given and accepted by the UTC the absence may
be marked as authorised. UTC 2 is under no obligation to accept the reason given for absence is
there is doubt of its validity.
Where appropriate, parents/carers regularly identifying poor health as a reason for their child’s
absence will be asked to provide a medical certificate from their GP.
If the absence involves physical injury, with implications upon the student’s return to UTC 2, a risk
assessment will be carried out by the Business Manager and the Learning Manager for each
specific case.
Authorised absence
Authorised Absences are absences which are allowed by law, such as:
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Illness
Religious observance
Unauthorised Absence
Unauthorised absences are absences which are not permitted by law, such as:
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Waiting for a delivery
Taking or collecting a relative to/from the airport
Going for a family day out
Sleeping in after a late night
Going shopping or having a hair cut
Birthday
Term time holiday/Cheap Flights
Parent’s Illness
Punctuality Procedure
Students should arrive at UTC 2 by 8.25 am ready to start their first lesson at 8.30 am. If a student
is going to be late parents/carers have a responsibility to inform UTC 2 of their child’s lateness by
telephone.
All students who arrive late must report to Reception and sign the appropriate “Signing In” form,
giving the time of, and reason for, the late arrival.
If a student arrives after 8.30 am but before 8.40 am they will marked as ‘L’ – late before the
register has closed. If a student arrives after 8.40 am they will be marked as ‘U’ – late after the
register has closed.
Avoidable and persistent lateness will result in a detention.
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Leave of Absence
Parents/Carers are obliged to apply to the Principal for leave of absence by completing a ‘Leave of
Absence Request Form.’ The application should be made at least 4 weeks prior to the known
absence.
The Principal is no longer able to grant leave of absence for the purpose of a family holiday during
term time. The Principal may not grant any leave of absence unless there are exceptional
circumstances.
Any student absence during term time, unless granted by the Principal because of exceptional
circumstances, will be recorded as unauthorised absence.
Requests for leave of absence will be evaluated on an individual basis taking into account
individual circumstances.
Principal:
Date of Last Review:
Date of Next Review:
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