Attendance

At TCS6 we take attendance very seriously and we acknowledge that attendance plays an essential part in academic development for post 16 students.

All post 16 courses are intensive and students cannot afford to miss valuable teaching and study time. As well as timetabled lessons students also have non-contact periods on their timetables for private study at the Sixth Form Centre, in which attendance is also recorded and compulsory. As well as this, all Year 12 students have an enrichment period on a Wednesday afternoon.

The remaining non-contact periods on a student’s timetable can be used for study at home. We would expect our students to be committed to spending their time effectively, but this privilege may be withdrawn if a student is not meeting his/her work commitments. In such cases, students will be scheduled to work within school, in all of their non-contact lessons.

Our Year 12 & 13 students have registration Monday – Thursday between 10.50-11.15 am, with their assigned tutor.

Level 2 students have a work experience day every Thursday, and therefore are not required to register on site. Attendance for this will be monitored by their course leader, in liaison with the provider.

Sixth form students should strive to achieve consistently good attendance as poor attendance will affect academic attainment. Students should therefore aim for at least 95% attendance for the year. An exemplary record of attendance says a huge amount about the student as a person: that they are dedicated, well-motivated, organised and someone who takes their responsibilities seriously. Good attendance also plays an important part when applying to higher education establishments or employment. At TCS6 we strive to provide a welcoming, caring environment, whereby each member of the Sixth Form community feels wanted and secure. All school staff will work with students and their families to ensure each student attends school regularly and punctually.

What TCS6 expects of our students:

  • Attend regularly, on time and ready to learn
  • Attend registration, enrichment and assemblies
  • To sign in at the Sixth Form Centre, if they arrive after a scheduled registration session
  • To tell a member of Sixth Form Staff if there is any problem which may prevent them from attending school
  • Make every effort to make dental/medical appointments outside of school hours
  • Complete an absence request form if they need to leave early or will be absent from school for a full day
  • To sign out and speak to a member of the Sixth Form team if they are ill during the school and need to go home

What TCS6 expects of parents/carers:

  • To ensure that their child attends school regularly, on time and prepared for the day.
  • To contact TCS6 by 9am on the first day their child is absent for any reason, and then on all subsequent days.
  • To avoid taking holidays in term time.
  • To speak to relevant members of staff if they know of any problem which may prevent their child from attending school.
  • To provide evidence to support absence such as an appointment card or text. Absence without evidence will not be authorised.

What parents/carers and pupils can expect from TCS6:

  • A Sixth form education that is dependent upon regular attendance at school
  • Promotion of good attendance and punctuality at school
  • Efficient and accurate recording and monitoring of absence
  • Prompt action when a problem has been identified
  • Regular communication with students and parents/carers

In the event of Poor Attendance

Weekly attendance reports will be shared with Sixth Form leaders and Tutors. TCS6 has clear disciplinary procedures regarding persistent absence without medical explanation, which is viewed as defiance of our expectations concerning student conduct.

KS5 teachers will endeavour to keep timely and accurate registers, and if a student is missing from a lesson, having been present earlier in the day, an alert will be sent via email to the Sixth Form team. A call will then be made home to ensure Parents/Careers are aware of the absence. The Sixth Form team will also call home when a student is absent at the start of day without prior notice from a Parent/Career. It is not acceptable for a student to give notice of their own absence.

The Education Funding Agency, which pays for Sixth Forms in England will not fund any student who is absent for 4 weeks consecutively without medical notification. Therefore if a student at TCS6 does not attend for this length of time, they will be taken off role.

Please see over page for the stages of disciplinary action.