Attendance
Attendance Matters at Corby Business Academy
From the first day of term to the last, the small moments in a school day can make a real difference to your child.
Corby Business Academy has high expectations of student attendance.
We believe encouraging school attendance is one of the most powerful ways you can prepare your child for success, both in school and in life.
Making school attendance and punctuality a priority helps your child to maximise their potential, develop important social skills and avoid dangerous behaviour.
At Corby Business Academy, our values are to ensure that improving attendance is everyone’s responsibility:
It is a parent/carer responsibility to ensure that their child attends the Academy regularly and on time. Whilst we appreciate that sometimes absence is unavoidable due to illness, medical appointments or leave taken during term time, it will still impact your child’s attendance and in turn their attainment. It is proven that attainment is connected to good attendance and missing crucial time at the Academy could have an impact on any exams that your child may be taking.
Remember that one day’s absence is 5 lessons missed, one week’s absence is 25 lessons missed.
This is valuable learning time that cannot be given back. Your child misses out every time they are absent from the Academy, so consider this and make medical or dental appointments outside of Academy hours when possible.
If your child is having difficulties attending school, please contact your child’s Head of Year as soon as possible, as most issues can be dealt with very quickly.
Alfie O'Sullivan - Head of Year 7
alfie.osullivan@corbybusinessacademy.org
Leanne Ashley - Head of Year 8
leanne.ashley@corbybusinessacademy.org
Andy Duncan - Head of Year 9
andrew.duncan@corbybusinessacademy.org
Thomas Peacock - Head of Year 10
thomas.peacock@corbybusinessacademy.org
Shannon Sutton - Head of Year 11
shannon.sutton@corbybusinessacademy.org
Matt Smith - Head of Sixth Form
matt.smith@corbybusinessacademy.org
We wish to work in partnership with parents/carers and so are seeking your full support in ensuring that your child attends school every day and on time. We are always pleased to work together to resolve any difficulties, and we are committed to improving attendance levels.
Attendance = Attainment
Attendance is essential for students to achieve the most out of their experience, including attainment, wellbeing and wider life chances (DfE, 2022).
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There is a strong link between attainment and attendance:
36% of persistently absent children in KS4 gained 9 to 4 in their English and Maths GCSEs' compared to 84% of regular attenders.
It’s never too late!
More than half (54%) of pupils who were persistently absent in Year 10 and then rarely absent in Year 11, passed at least 5 GCSEs' compared to 36% of pupils who were persistently absent in both years.
Reporting an absence
Parents/carers should contact the Academy every day of their child's absence before 8.30 a.m.
To report an absence telephone 01536 303120, select option 2 to speak with our Attendance Officer or option 3 to speak with our reception team. Please do not leave a voicemail message and persevere if the phones lines are engaged.
Alternatively you can email the Attendance Officer at studentabsence@corbybusinessacademy.org with the following information:
- Student Name
- Year Group
- Absence Reason
- Day of Absence
- Parent/Carer Name
- Parent/Carer Contact Number
- Parent/Carer Email Address
If an explanation for an absence is not received, it will be recorded as unauthorised and an unexplained absence text message will be sent from the Academy or a telephone call will be made. A home visit may occur as a follow-up action.
Letter to School Leaders on mild illness and school attendance
The Chief Medical Officer and leading health professionals have written to schools to provide a clinical and public health perspective on mild illnesses and school attendance.
They have shared useful information for schools to pass onto parents including when is it appropriate for parents and carers to send their children to school with a mild illness.
Dear Headteachers and Trust leaders,
As you begin to welcome children and young people back for a new school year, we have been asked by the Department for Education (DfE) to provide you with a clinical and public health perspective on mild illnesses and school attendance.
We are aware that the COVID-19 pandemic may have caused some parents to feel less confident with assessing whether their child is well enough to be in school so we have laid out some information which we hope you will find helpful.
There is wide agreement among health professionals and educational professionals that school attendance is vital to the life chances of children and young people. Being in school improves health, wellbeing and socialisation throughout the life course. The greatest benefits come from children and young people attending school regularly.
It is usually appropriate for parents and carers to send their children to school with mild respiratory illnesses. This would include general cold symptoms: a minor cough, runny nose or sore throat. However, children should not be sent to school if they have a temperature of 38°C or above. We would encourage you to share the NHS ‘Is my child too ill for school?’ guidance with parents and carers in your schools and communities which has further information.
In addition to respiratory illnesses, we are aware that more children may be absent from school due to symptoms of anxiety than before the pandemic. Worry and mild or moderate anxiety, whilst sometimes difficult emotions, can be a normal part of growing up for many children and young people. Being in school can often help alleviate the underlying issues. A prolonged period of absence is likely to heighten a child’s anxiety about attending in the future, rather than reduce it. DfE has published useful guidance on mental health issues affecting a pupil’s attendance and those who are experiencing persistent symptoms can be encouraged to access additional support.
Thank you for your efforts so far to facilitate immunisation sessions within schools. As we head into winter, encouraging high uptake of seasonal flu vaccination and routine immunisations for eligible children and young people will help to reduce absences and the disruption they cause.
You, and the teachers you lead, are already supporting families to build up children’s confidence to attend school regularly. The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) recently approved 5 principles to promote school attendance. We hope this guidance will support GPs in having sensitive and reassuring conversations with parents, carers and pupils.
Thank you and your colleagues for your continued commitment to supporting the health and wellbeing of children and young people.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer, England
Pat Cullen, General Secretary, Royal College of Nursing
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair, Royal College of General Practitioners
Dr Camilla Kingdon, President, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
William Roberts, Chief Executive, Royal Society for Public Health
Dr Lade Smith, President, Royal College of Psychiatrists
Request for leave in term time
Request for leave in term time
If parents/carers choose to take their child out of school during term time without leave of absence being granted, then it will be recorded as an unauthorised absence on the school register. The Academy will also make a referral to the Attendance and Prosecution service for students who take an unauthorised leave of five days or more. Such a referral may lead to a Fixed Penalty Notice being issued. Parents/Carers who fail to ensure their child’s regular attendance can be fined £80.00 (per parent, per child). If the payment is not made within 21 days, then this increases to £160.00
If parents/carers consider that the request for leave in term time is for exceptional circumstances, then a written request should be made to the Principal. Please complete the below Request for Leave in Term Time form and once completed email it to studentabsence@corbybusinessacademy.org.
National Framework for Penalty Notices
National Framework for Penalty Notices – what does it mean?
The Department for Education states:
‘a holiday or leave of absence for leisure and recreation would not constitute as an exceptional circumstance for leave during term time’.
Please click here for our Attendance Leaflet.
BWT Attendance and Punctuality Policy
Please click here for our Attendance and Punctuality policy.
Student Sickness Policy - In School Protocol
If a student feels unwell whilst they are attending the Academy site, they must report to a member of their class teacher where they can explain their symptoms. The class teacher will then complete a sickness report that will alert the Health Care Assistant, Attendance officers and Senior Leader.
When this occurs a student’s condition and circumstances will then be checked, with the staff involved then considering the situation and liaising with parents or carers. If it is agreed that the student should go home, this will be clarified with a named adult from our student contact details list.
Students must then be collected by an adult, who is again named on the students' contact list. If this is not possible, the Academy will need verbal/written confirmation and permission stating the adult who will be acting as the person responsible for supervision and collection.
Please note that students should not be contacting parents or carers directly during school hours via mobile phones, we need to manage safeguarding protocols and ensure that we control records of students arriving on and off site.
Medical Appointments and Evidence
In the case of unavoidable medical or dental appointments and in accordance with Brooke Weston Trust policy, we will require medical evidence in order to authorise these absences.
We accept the following as medical evidence that details the time and date of the appointment:
- Appointment letter/slip
- Text message or online booking confirmation
Please can we be informed of planned medical or dental appointments at least 1 day prior to the appointment. This notification, along with medical evidence, can be emailed to studentabsence@corbybusinessacademy.org.
Punctuality
Parents have a legal responsibility to ensure that their child is not late for school. This can be extremely disruptive to a child’s daily routine; this also means that they miss a considerable amount of valuable learning time.
|
Minutes late per day |
Equivalent of missing |
|
5 Minutes |
3.4 school days a year |
|
10 Minutes |
6.9 school days a year |
|
15 Minutes |
10.3 school days a year |
|
20 Minutes |
13.8 school days a year |
|
30 Minutes |
20.7 school days a year |
Should your child arrive late, it is important that they enter the school via our Main Reception to be signed in. If your child is late due to attending an appointment, we ask for medical evidence provided to support this.
The attendance team regularly monitors children’s punctuality and if a child is identified as being persistently late, parents and carers will be invited in for a Punctuality Surgery meeting to discuss this and a target will be set to reduce lateness.
Parents/Carers Responsibilities
Ensure your child comes to school every day, on time, equipped and ready to learn. Students should be in the building by 8.35 a.m. and sat down by 8.40 a.m., when morning tutor time begins. Students arriving very late will be marked absent and will require an explanatory note or the absence will remain unauthorised.
Ensure the school has up-to-date addresses and telephone numbers. We will contact you if your child is absent, and you have not contacted the school. This ensures your child’s safety and any truancy is quickly identified. Persistent lateness is monitored and affects the overall attendance figure for each student. Consequences are the same for those students with low attendance.
Home Visits
Parents and carers should be aware that home visits are completed by all Brooke Weston schools as a standard procedure when children are absent from school. Should the Student Care team have any safeguarding concerns for a particular child, home visits will be completed to these families in the first instance. All children will be visited on Day 3 of consecutive absence with no communication. Home visits allow school staff to see the child and discuss the absence with the parents or carers and offer support if it is required.
The Attendance Team
Amy Harris – Assistant Principal for Student Care, Safeguarding and Attendance
amy.harris@corbybusinessacademy.org
Michele Jenkins – Attendance Officer for Years 7, 8 and 9.
michele.jenkins@corbybusinessacademy.org
Laura McCluskey – Attendance Officer for Years 10, 11 and Sixth Form
laura.mccluskey@corbybusinessacademy.org
Attendance FAQs
What are the timings of the school day?
When are the school holidays?
The school term dates are published on our website. You can find them here.
What should I do if my child is ill?
If your child is unwell and unable to attend school, you must inform the school as soon as possible (before 8.30 a.m.).
To report an absence telephone 01536 303120, select option 2 to speak with our Attendance Officer or option 3 to speak with our reception team. Please do not leave a voicemail message and persevere if the phones lines are engaged.
Alternatively you can email the Attendance Officer at studentabsence@corbybusinessacademy.org with the following information;
- Student Name
- Year Group
- Absence Reason
- Day of Absence
- Parent/Carer Name
- Parent/Carer Contact Number
- Parent/Carer Email Address
My child has a medical appointment – what should I do?
Please can we be informed of planned medical or dental appointments at least 1 day prior to the appointment. This notification, along with medical evidence, can be emailed to studentabsence@corbybusinessacademy.org.
We accept the following as medical evidence that details the time and date of the appointment:
- Appointment letter/slip
- Text message or online booking confirmation.
I have received a letter, or been invited into school, about attendance. Should I be worried?
If we have written to you or invited you into school for a meeting, it is because we want to work in partnership with you to improve your child's attendance. Poor attendance affects your child socially as well as academically and we will discuss what we can do to help you and your child to ensure they are coming into school regularly. We ask that parents/carers do their best to work with us so that any issues can be resolved as quickly as possible and do not escalate.
My child does not want to come to school. What should I do?
Parents/carers have a duty to ensure that their child of statutory school age is receiving an appropriate education. If your child does not want to come to school then we need to discuss this so that we can look into the reason(s) for this and work out what we can do to help. If your child is having difficulties attending school, please contact your child’s Head of Year as soon as possible, as most issues can be dealt with very quickly.
Alfie O'Sullivan - Head of Year 7
alfie.osullivan@corbybusinessacademy.org
Leanne Ashley - Head of Year 8
leanne.ashley@corbybusinessacademy.org
Andy Duncan - Head of Year 9
andrew.duncan@corbybusinessacademy.org
Thomas Peacock - Head of Year 10
thomas.peacock@corbybusinessacademy.org
Shannon Sutton - Head of Year 11
shannon.sutton@corbybusinessacademy.org
Matt Smith - Head of Sixth Form
matt.smith@corbybusinessacademy.org