Attendance

At John Ferneley College our aim is to maintain excellent attendance and punctuality for every student. This enables us to offer maximised learning opportunities and ensures that our students are able to reach their full potential in all aspects of college life.

The DFE (Department of Education) has published data on its website that clearly shows the link between attendance and attainment. This highlights the fact that there will be an impact on your child’s education and exam results if attendance is not consistently good. Our school target for attendance is 96% for this very reason.

It is the parents/carers legal responsibility to ensure their child regularly attends school. We recognise the need for students, parents/carers, and the college to work in close partnership to achieve this. Should you become aware that your child is experiencing issues which are impacting on their attendance, please contact the school as soon as possible, so that support may be offered.

Reporting an absence

• On the absence line – 01664565901 then press 'Option 1'
• MyChildAtSchool webpage (app not currently supported)

Please note it is a parent/carers' responsibility to report their child's absence daily, by 8am, using the methods stated above. Please also ensure you contact us using a phone number that is on our system as a ‘recognised contact’ for your child. 

Please do not email the office or use old systems such as School Comms, as these are not monitored for absences and will result in your child's absence being unauthorised.

We thank you for your continued support to ensure your child attends as per our expectations.

Intervention/Support

We understand there are times when your child may be facing some difficulties which could affect their attendance to college. As a school we believe it is a priority to identify and support these students and families.

Students whose attendance is below 90% are classed as persistently absent, regardless of whether the school has authorised or unauthorised the absences. This equates to 38 sessions or 19 days of absence across the year. We would ask, where possible, that medical evidence is provided for all absences. For repeated absences, this will be required in line with Government recommendations, such as appointment cards, images of prescribed medication or information from the NHS app.

Should your child’s attendance fall below 90%, the college will look at support to help students improve their attendance. However, in some circumstances, it could lead to a referral to The LA for further intervention, fines and even prosecution.

Attendance Team Contact

If you require additional support, please contact Mrs Teesdale or Mrs Mabbot at [email protected].

Please note, this email is not for reporting an absence.

Punctuality

It is the parents/carers responsibility to get their child/ren into school on time on a daily basis.

The school day starts at 8:35am. We would expect students to be in school and in their zones ready for tutor time which begins at 8.40. Punctuality affects the overall attendance figures and will impact on valuable learning time. Pupils who are regularly late may also be liable to fines as per Department of Education guidance.