College Policy on Absence

Attendance

All students attending College are required to strive to achieve 100% attendance. If you cannot attend then you must contact the following College officers before 9.30am on the first day of absence. They will then contact your tutors as appropriate.

You will need to tell the officer why you are absent, how long you think you will be absent and which tutors need contacting.

Authorised Absence

Some absences may be classified as authorised (see table below) and in these cases learners will be marked as present on College attendance records. Maintaining a high level of attendance is important for the following reasons:

• It can effect your eligibility to receive payments from the college’s Learner Support Fund

• For eligible learners, it can affect your ability to receive your Education Maintenance Allowance or Adult Learning Grant

• It may affect your eligibility to sit your examinations
• It may affect your ability to receive travel support
• It may affect your ability to be successful in the College’s Attendance and Reward Schemes

The College definition of authorised absence is as follows:

PLEASE NOTE:

(i) A maximum of three requests for authorised absence per term will be approved.

(ii) The above list is not exhaustive and other reasonable requests for absence to be authorised will be considered.

(iii) No period of authorised absence can exceed one day in duration.

Foreseeable absence

If a reason for absence can be foreseen then you must apply in advance for the absence to be authorised.

You cannot miss classes without prior notification. Where this occurs absence will be categorised as unauthorised.

Non-foreseeable absence

Where an absence could not reasonably have been foreseen, the student should contact the College before 9.30 am on the day in question. If this does not occur then the absence will remain unauthorised.

Sickness

Isolated periods of genuine sickness may be classed as authorised absence.

Documentary Evidence

Required documentary evidence to support authorised absence is detailed above. All evidence should be forwarded to the relevant college officer shown above. Absences requiring documentary evidence will be classed as unauthorised until the evidence is received.

Requests for absence to be classed as authorised

Any learner wishing to apply for absence to be classed as authorised must complete an authorised absence application form. These are obtainable from EMA administration officers (see above) or centre offices. Any application for authorised absence must be received within two weeks of the days of absence.

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