At Bluecoat Aspley we are incredibly proud of our strong attendance figures, and this is testament to the excellent relationship that we have with our parents and carers who prioritise the attendance of their children.
Reporting an absence
We ask all our parents/carers to contact the Academy on each and every day of their child’s absence before 8:00am to explain the reason for their child’s absence.
To report an absence, you should leave a message on the student absence line on 0115 929 7445 and select option 2. Or if you wish to discuss your child’s absence with a member of staff, call 0115 929 7445 and select option 4. You may also submit absences through Weduc.
We encourage you to send your child to the Academy if it is a minor illness. If throughout the day, they become worse, your child’s Year Leader will contact you and discuss whether they need to stay at school or if they should go home.
If students are to achieve their full potential, excellent attendance is crucial
To benefit fully from the teaching, care, guidance and many opportunities for enrichment provided each day at Bluecoat Aspley, students must habitually be in the academy and be punctual to every lesson.
Higher attendance rates mean better academic performance, greater opportunities for higher education, more work options and higher earning potential. Research shows that students who miss less than 3% of school are far more likely to achieve 5 GCSEs graded 9-5, including English and Maths. Students with excellent attendance also experience significant personal and social benefits that extend beyond academic outcomes.
Students whose attendance falls below 90% will be classed as a ‘Persistent Absentee’ in line with government classification. If their attendance falls to this level, we may make a referral to Education Welfare Service who will work with the family to improve attendance, or we may take legal action where necessary. Students who meet this criterion will be monitored and if their attendance fails to improve a Penalty Notice fine may be issued.
If your child needs to leave the academy during the school day
A letter/email with confirmation of the reason of absence needs to be sent to the Attendance Officer and your child’s Head of Year ahead of time so that we are made aware of the reason as to why they need to leave early. Students must sign out at Student Reception, if they leave during the Academy day. Any attendance queries can be sent to attendance@bluecoataspley.co.uk
Whenever possible, all medical appointments should be made outside of Academy hours. We are aware that some appointments have to be made during the academy day. In these cases, we need to see medical cards or appointment letters from the relevant medical professional, in order for this absence to be authorised. This should be sent to our attendance inbox –attendance@bluecoataspley.co.uk, attached in an absence message on Weduc or alternatively provided to student reception for them to scan a copy of the appointment to send to the attention of the Attendance Officer.
Holidays/time off during term time
In accordance with government guidelines, any time taken off during term time will be unauthorised, unless exceptional circumstances apply. Exceptional circumstances can only be authorised by the Principal and parents should put requests by completing an Application for Leave of Absence form available from the Attendance Office. Please allow plenty of time for your request to be considered where possible.
It is particularly important that students do not take time off in Years 10 and 11 as they have coursework deadlines, controlled assessments, exams etc.
Penalty notices
If your child does not attend regularly, we will work with you to try and support better attendance. This is done through attendance meetings with your child’s Year Leader and the Attendance Officer.
However, should this not work, we will request legal action from the Local Authority (if applicable), this may be a penalty notice. From August 2024, the guidance for penalty notices changed.
Ms P Reid – Attendance Officer
Mrs R McNally – Designated Safeguarding Lead
Ms S Testa – SENDCO
