Registration and Attendance Policy

ST BERNARD’S CATHOLIC GRAMMAR SCHOOL

REGISTRATION AND ATTENDANCE POLICY

REGISTRATION AND ATTENDANCE POLICY

Attendance at school is a statutory requirement.  Moreover, it is necessary for a successful school career.  Prolonged and irregular absence can disadvantage students.  The LA, the school, parents/carers, students and the community need to work together to maximise attendance.

Some students have difficulty in attending school regularly.  Reasons might include:
o The student’s medical history
o Social, economic and cultural reasons within the family
o The lack of appropriate support from statutory agencies within the community.

Responsibilities

Parents
o To ensure regular attendance of children of compulsory school age.
o To work in partnership with the school to maximise attendance.

School
o To promote good attendance.
o To keep accurate and up to date records on students’ attendance and punctuality.
o To notify the LA of irregular attendance or continuous absence of more than two weeks (not covered by a medical certificate).

LA
o To monitor attendance across the Authority.
o To make educational welfare provision.

Extended leave from school

A request by parents for extended leave of absence (over and above the usual school holidays) should be exceptional.  Extended leave of absence from school can result in insufficient coverage of the National Curriculum, and students failing to achieve expected grades in public examinations.

Except in exceptional circumstances, a student shall not be granted more than 10 days leave of absence in any key stage.  The school is not obliged to agree to holidays in term time.  Parents should be encouraged to use existing school holidays.  The LA advise that no student be granted more than one request for extended leave in his/her secondary school career.

Approved by the Governing Body 12th May 2010.