Attendance and Lateness Policy

It is very important that you attend all your classes. Missing classes will affect your progress and being late will disrupt the lesson.

We do, however, understand that sometimes absence and lateness are unavoidable. Please read below to find out what you are expected to do if you are going to be absent from or late to class.

What to do if you cannot attend your lesson?

The first thing you should do is inform the School that you are going to be absent.

If you cannot attend your lesson you can inform the School by calling or texting on the number which is printed on the back of your ID card or call the School line on 0121 366 8953. You can also email the School on info@edskills.co.uk.

If you have a good reason for being absent your absence will be recorded as authorised. Here are some valid reasons for being absent from class:

illness
medical/dental appointments which could not be made outside of lesson hours
visits to University open days
career related interviews
attendance at a funeral or wedding of a close family member
severe travel disruption
family illness or emergencies; religious holidays

If you do not inform the school, your absence will be recorded as unauthorised and we will contact you to find out the reason for your absence. We will also contact your parent/guardian/agent and embassy (if appropriate) if we do not hear from you and unable to reach you. The School needs to know you are safe and well as the School has a duty of care to students.

What happens if you are not attending regularly?

If your attendance falls below 85%, you will be called to have a meeting with the admin/welfare manager who will talk to you about your attendance. You will be issued with a first attendance warning letter if you can not give a good reason for your poor attendance.

If after 2 weeks there is no improvement, you will be issued the second warning letter. We will also contact your parent/guardian/agent notifying them of the attendance concerns.

If after a further 2 weeks your attendance has still not improved, you will be given a final warning letter.

Any more unauthorised absences within 2 weeks of the final warning letter and you will be withdrawn from your course.

What to do if you are going to be late?

If you are going to be late to your lesson you can inform the School by calling or texting on the number which is printed on the back of your ID card or call the School line on 0121 366 8953. You can also email the School on info@edskills.co.uk.

You are not allowed to enter the classroom if you are more than 15 minutes late. You will have to wait until the next lesson begins. If you have a valid reason for being more than 15 minutes late and have informed the School, you will be taken to the classroom by the admin/welfare staff and allowed to join the class.

If you arrive within 15 minutes of the lesson starting please knock the classroom door politely before entering and you may be asked to wait until the teacher finds a suitable break in the lesson before allowing you to enter.

Please remember that lateness disrupts the class for everyone including yourself so always try your best to be on time.

Under 18s

If you are aged under 18 you will sign a register each day before each lesson. The register is located in the General Office. If the register has not been signed, the admin/welfare staff will look for you in class. If you are not in class, we will contact you and/or your parent/host/guardian/agent to check your whereabouts and welfare.

If you are aged under 18 and you are late you will be contacted by the School to find out where you are. When you arrive at the School you will need to go to the General Office and see a member of the admin/welfare staff who will take you to your class.