Sixth Form Absences

General Absences

If you know you will be absent for a full day or more, please tell your form tutor in advance, plus inform relevant subject staff.

If you are ill, please ask someone at home to ring up and leave a message for your form tutor by 9.10 that morning.

If you have been absent for two days, on your return to school you must bring a note, signed by your parent/guardian explaining your absence.

Lunch

You must leave and return via the main Reception Office if you are going off school premises at lunchtime, even for a short period of time such as 10 minutes.

It is also very important that you sign in, at Reception Office, if you are late arriving at school in the morning, or need to go out of school at any other time.

Please note: You will not be allowed off the school premises at Break time due to the lack of time, however there are facilities for you to obtain food both at break time and other times throughout the school day.

Absence due to driving lessons and other appointments

We realise that most of you will be learning how to drive during your time in the Sixth Form. However this must not take place at the same time as a timetabled lesson or study period (except for your actual Test). You must let your form tutor know and sign out and back in at reception. Similarly, doctors/dentists/opticians appointments as well as university open days are usually known several days in advance and you must let your form tutor or Sixth Form Office know in advance and sign out and back in at reception.

Taking Holidays

Please do not arrange your family holiday during term-time. It is unlikely that you will ever fully compensate for your absence. Guidance from Northumberland LEA is that ALL holidays must be marked as ‘unauthorised’. If this is unavoidable, you must obtain a holiday request form from Miss Ives in the Sixth Form Office several months in advance. Take this home and fill out the details including a signature of a parent/guardian. Return it to Miss Ives, who will pass it on to Mrs Harrison for approval. She will then return a ‘permission granted/refused’ slip to you.

Prior to going, YOU MUST inform all your subject teachers of the dates and make arrangements to collect/catch up on missed work.

Exam Leave

As appropriate. There will be 2 sets of examinations in Year 12 (Christmas and Summer) and the same in Year 13. Final external A Level, BTEC, Cam Tech examinations will be taken in the Summer of Year 13.