Policy Overview and Scope
Purpose
This policy and procedures detail how attendance of learners will be monitored in order to -
- identify those who do not attend the service programmes or individual classes, to enable them to access appropriate support as necessary, return to their programme of study and achieve their qualification(s)
- provide appropriate evidence for external bodies such as the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and various bursary schemes
Policy Statement
Hull Training and Adult Education (HTAE) will monitor learners’ attendance and punctuality and where appropriate initiate the learner absence procedure and recovery plan.
Responsibilities and Expectations - Staff
The Head of Service is responsible for the management of this policy.
All tutors, tutor assessors, curriculum managers, leads, Safeguarding and Learning Support manager and SENDCO are responsible for monitoring learner attendance and in particular any learner deemed to be ‘at risk’ of non-completion.
All staff teaching any learning programmes are responsible for issuing ‘Cause for Concern’ forms via ProMonitor whenever learners’ absence is unauthorised.
All members of teaching staff are responsible for ensuring that electronic registers are completed at the start of each session. NOTE: it is accepted that this may be difficult for some practical sessions, in these cases it is expected that paper registers will be kept and the electronic system updated within 24 hours of the session. Repeated failure to update registers will result in disciplinary action.
Electronic registers should be completed for all teaching sessions, including workshops, virtual or blended learning sessions.
Any learner absence that is unplanned or which has not been agreed in advance should be followed up by the Curriculum Manager/lead (or member of staff given delegated responsibility) on the same working day. Learner’s records (in ProMonitor) should be updated to confirm actions taken and any response.
Responsibilities and Expectations - Learners
Learners take responsibility for their attendance and punctuality.
Learners are expected to attend all timetabled class and study programme activities (i.e. 100% attendance).
Learners are expected to be punctual for all classes and be ready to learn.
If a Learner is unable to attend any timetabled activity, they should contact the relevant department as soon as practicable.
Responsibilities and Expectations - Parents / Carers
Parents/Carers are expected to be fully supportive of with regard to attendance and punctuality.
To support learners to follow HTAE policy and procedures in the reporting of absence.
Attendance / Absence
Learners are expected to attend all timetabled activities (i.e. 100% attendance) including vocational and English and maths lessons plus individual and group tutorials, targeted enrichment activities, work experience placements, trips and visits.
Acceptable absence is a planned absence, which has been authorised by the Lead tutor or Manager via completion of a signed authorised absence form.
Examples of legitimate planned absences include:
- a medical appointment which could not be arranged outside HTAE hours
- occasional care for a person for whom the Learner has a definite caring responsibility
- a religious holiday
- visit to a University, collage or employer to attend an open day/interview: or a career related interview
- appointment with a Careers Adviser (should normally avoid disruption to studies)
- occasional extra-curricular activity giving significant personal achievement, including field trips and visits
- related to areas of study
- attendance at a funeral
- attendance at a probation meeting
- severe disruption to transport, e.g. rail strike
- a driving test
- an absence where a Learner explains their absence retrospectively to the curriculum manager, for example, a legitimate retrospective absence would be an accident, or a late hospital appointment or a domestic crisis. The Learner should inform their Curriculum Manager upon their return to HTAE
Unacceptable absence is defined as any absence which is unauthorised or unexplained or where classes are missed regularly in any other pattern which Tutors consider problematic i.e. detrimental to the successful completion of the course. Any unauthorised absence may impact on bursary payments.
Examples of unacceptable absences -
- holidays
- part or full time work which is not part of the Learner's programme of work
- leisure activities
- birthdays or similar celebrations
- babysitting siblings
- shopping
- driving lessons
- lateness exceeding 15 minutes
If a Learner is unable to attend any timetabled or study programme activity, they should either:
- inform their Curriculum Lead or Manager in writing / by e mail
- inform Reception
If a Learner has a significant health and / or wellbeing issues, they should contact their curriculum manager or the learning support lead for support. If a Learner may benefit from learning support, the Learner or centre Lead or Manager should contact the Learning Support Team.
Repeated unauthorised absence from any aspect of a Study Programme may result in bursary payments being withheld. Disciplinary action may be taken and a Learner may be removed from their programme of study.
If a Learner is absent for more than three weeks with no contact with HTAE, they may be considered to have withdrawn and will be removed from their programme of study.
Punctuality and Readiness to Learn
Learners are expected to be punctual for all classes and timetabled activities.
Learners are expected to be ready to learn by -
- removing all outside clothing: i.e. hat/coat/scarf and placing safely where they will not cause a trip hazard
- ensuring they have pens, paper and other appropriate equipment e.g. calculator on your desk
- putting anything else in bags, including MOBILE PHONES (on silent) and placing under the desk or at the back of the room, where it will not cause a trip hazard
- if a Learner has no bag, phones should be placed on the desk at the front
- drinks - bottled water only allowed on desks. No eating during class
A Learner is late if they enter the class after the published ‘start’ time on the timetable.
If a Learner is late, they should enter the room / area quietly and ensure that the tutor is aware of their presence. They should explain to the tutor at an appropriate moment the reason for their lateness.
Persistent lateness to lessons to will lead to the Disciplinary Policy being applied. It is not policy to refuse access to lessons on the grounds of poor punctuality, but it is accepted that the tutor may use discretion in this matter e.g. repeated lateness with no valid reason, disruption on entry to the classroom.
Monitoring Attendance and Punctuality
The following attendance marks are commonly used in the electronic register system, other marks may be used e.g. if Learners are attending exams, interviews etc -
- A - authorised absence i.e. Learner has been in contact
- B - Bank Holiday
- C - Completed
- E - Attended by learner left early
- F - Work Placement
- H - Holiday
- I - isolation (Covid)
- K - Known absence
- i.e. Learner has filled in ‘authorise absence form’ which has been agreed by the Lead tutor or Manager and the mark has been updated by the tutor
- L - late to class
- O - online
- P - present
- U - unauthorised absence
If a Learner is marked as an unauthorised absence, this should be followed up by the Curriculum Manager or lead tutor, if the Learner is under 18 then parents / carers should be contacted.
See Appendix B: Monitoring of Study Programme and apprentice absences.
If a Learner is absent from English or maths classes, a separate procedure is followed, see Appendix C.
Any absence and any action taken as a result (e.g. contacting Learner, contacting parents / guardians / carers) should be recorded in the ‘Comments’ section of ProMonitor using the following -
- Comment Type - Warning
- FAO - Course Manager
- Reason - Attendance or punctuality
- Link to Enrolment - Link to specific session
If a Learner’s attendance falls below 91% (HTAE KPI) or 3 ‘Warnings’ are issued within one week, or for one particular teaching session or subject, then they shall constitute a breach of the provisions of a HTAE Policy and the Learner disciplinary procedure may be invoked.
Links to other policies and procedures
The attendance policy should be read in conjunction with the following policies and procedures -
- HTAE Child Protection policy
- Keeping children safe in education (Sept 2020)
- HTAE Adult safeguarding policy
- HCC Looked After Children
- HTAE Substance policy
- HTAE Behaviour policy
- HTAE SEN policy
- Department for Education School attendance September 2018
- Keeping Children Safe in Education 2018
- Department for Education Children missing in education (Sept 2016)
- Home Office County Lines and Child sexual exploitation
- HM Government What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused (March2015)
- HM government Information Sharing (July 2018)