Attendance - Absence and Illness
The college is open from 8am and students should not be onsite before this. Staff supervision starts at 8-20am and students arriving on site before this time will be unsupervised. YOUR CHILD SHOULD BE ON THE SCHOOL SITE BY 8.20am ready for lessons starting at 8-30 am. If you drop or collect your child by car at the start or end of the college day, please do so away from the college entrance to avoid congestion.
Research has proven that students who do not regularly attend college do not achieve as well. The law also requires all parents to ensure their child regularly attends college. The college deems that a student who attends less than 95% of the time (misses more than one day in every twenty days) is a cause for concern.
If your child is absent contact us EVERY MORNING DURING THE ABSENCE BY 8-00 am in the following ways:
BY TELEPHONE – 01732 778600 (new direct line) OR BY EMAIL – admin@tonbridgefederation.co.uk
OR BY TEXT - 60066 start your message HC
In the case of notification by text or telephone, a supporting letter signed by the parent/guardian should be sent to your child’s Advisor. This is a reliable way of ensuring the absence is genuine. In cases where absences remain unexplained, parents will be contacted by phone, letter or may receive a visit from the Education Welfare Officer.
‘KEEP KIDS SAFE’
The college has an automated messaging system which will inform you if your child is absent from the college and you have not informed us of this. Please make sure you contact the college when receiving this message to let us know the reason why your child is not present. Please note that parental replies are free of charge.
ILLNESS DURING THE COLLEGE DAY
If a student feels unwell during the day then they will be referred to the College Health Advisor. No medication of any sort can be given to him/her. The College Health Advisor will take a view on whether the student should be sent home or is well enough to return to their lesson. Parents/guardians must ensure that we have an emergency telephone number on which they, or another responsible adult, can be contacted. The college’s medical room is intended for first aid treatment, a place to rest for a short period (not prolonged stays) or a place for students awaiting collection who have consent from the College Health Advisor to go home due to sickness.
Any accident or emergency will be dealt with by an appointed first aider in the customary way. Should it be necessary to call an ambulance, every effort will be made to contact parents immediately but, failing this, a first aider or another member of staff will normally accompany the ambulance to the hospital.
NO MEDICATION WILL BE GIVEN WITHOUT THE WRITTEN AUTHORITY OF THE PARENT/GUARDIAN
Students using prescribed inhalers for asthma may, of course, keep these with them. If your child needs to take medication during the day, this should be left with the College Health Advisor in a named bag for safe keeping.
LATENESS
For all students in Years 7 to 10 and most students in Year 11, the college day starts BEFORE 8-30am. Lateness to College (except for unavoidable delays on buses) will be recorded in the register and reported in students’ final references. STUDENTS ARRIVING LATE BUT BEFORE 8.45am should go straight to their lesson. After 8.45am latecomers should report to STUDENT SERVICES.
LEAVING THE COLLEGE SITE WITHOUT PERMISSION
Once they have arrived at college, no students (except those in Years 12 and 13) are permitted to leave the college site. The only entrance into and out of the college is via the gate on White Cottage Road which for security reasons is monitored by a camera.
ANY STUDENT WHO LEAVES THE COLLEGE SITE WITHOUT PERMISSION WILL BE EXPECTED TO MAKE UP THE TIME THEY MISS DURING AN AFTER COLLEGE DETENTION. PARENTS WILL BE INFORMED.
If parents want their child to go home at lunchtime to eat, the student should bring in a letter to obtain a pass from their Academy Student Support Manager. The student must keep the pass on them at all times. Please be aware passes are only granted to students who live locally.
FAMILY HOLIDAYS
Family holidays will not be authorised during term time unless in exceptional circumstances. Unauthorised holidays will be reported to the Educational Welfare Officer and are likely to result in a parental fine. Absence results in missed work and interruption to a child’s learning. Teachers are unable to set work to cover such absences.
MEDICAL & DENTAL APPOINTMENTS
Whenever possible, please try to make appointments outside of the college day. If students need to miss part of the day to attend an appointment, they will need to bring a letter to reception, where they will be signed out and issued with a college pass. On return, they must report back to reception to be signed back in.
PERMANENT/TEMPORARY DISABILITY
Any permanent or temporary disability which may affect performance, e.g. participation in PE/Dance or any college activity should be notified to the College in writing without delay and supported by a doctor’s certificate. Information of this type is kept confidential, but in the interest of the student, appropriate staff will be informed of all conditions which present hazards, however slight. It is the responsibility of parents to ensure information that is essential to their child’s well-being is not withheld.