The academy site opens at 8:15am to welcome students. Your child should be on site by 8.25am to ensure that they are ready for the start of the academy day.
If you drop off or collect your child by car at the start or end of the academy day, please make arrangements to do so away from the school site to reduce congestion in our local area.
Research has proven that students who do not regularly attend school do not reach their potential. The law also requires all parents to ensure their child regularly attends school. The academy deems that regular attendance should be 100%. Good attendance is above 96%. The Government class students with attendance below 90% as ‘persistently absent’.
In cases where absences remain unexplained, parents/carers will be contacted by text, phone, or letter, or may receive a visit from either the school college team or the local authority Education School Liaison Officer.
You can read our Attendance Policy in full on our policies page.
Attendance Reporting
If your child is absent, contact us every morning during the absence by 8:00am, and provide a justifiable reason for the absence.
Telephone: 01474 700700
In the case of notification by telephone, a written supporting explanation should be sent to the attendance team. Evidence of any appointments must be included.
Email:
- anderson-admin@longfield.latrust.org.uk
- matisse-admin@longfield.latrust.org.uk
- galileo-admin@longfield.latrust.org.uk
- attendance@longfield.latrust.org.uk
The Attendance Team
- Ms J Hammon (Anderson)
- Mrs D Morgan (Matisse)
- Ms K Willis (Galileo)
- Mrs N Websdale (Attendance Officer)
Lateness to School
Students who arrive at the academy after 8.30am will be marked as ‘late’, unless there is a justifiable reason. The expectation is that all students should be ready to learn by 8.30am. Therefore, arriving at the academy by 8.25am enables all students to get to the line ups or their tutor base, ready to learn by 8.30am.
In exceptional cases where there is a valid reason for lateness that the student cannot control – parents are required to telephone or email the academy and explain the reason for absence prior to student’s arrival to the academy.
Family Holidays
Holidays during term time are actively discouraged at the academy, but if holidays are taken during this time, these will not be authorised. Unauthorised holidays will be reported to the School Liaison Officer and may result in a fine or other action from the Local Authority.
Medical & Dental Appointments
We encourage parents/carers to make medical and dental appointments outside of school hours. Where this is not possible, the student should be out of school for the minimum amount of time necessary. Attending a medical or dental appointment will be counted as authorised as long as the student’s parent/carer notifies the academy in advance of the appointment by email, and provides evidence in the form of a copy/screenshot of the appointment card, letter or text.
All appointments need to be supported with a copy/screen shot of the appointment card, letter or text in order to be authorised.
Access to Period Products
Periods should not be a barrier to anyone coming to school. Period products, such as pads and tampons, are available in school for those who are in need of them. They are available from the College Offices or the Main Reception; students can discreetly ask for “the red box”.
Illness During the Academy Day
If a student feels unwell during the day then they will be referred to a first aider. Students should not make contact with parents/carers directly when feeling unwell.
First aiders will take a view on whether the student should be sent home or is well enough to return to their lesson. First aid intervention is intended for short periods (not prolonged absence from lessons). Parents/carers will be contacted if it is necessary for a child to be sent home from school due to illness.
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 checked in at reception where paperwork will need to be completed. Note that the academy cannot provide any form of medication to a child without this process being completed. Please contact the main reception, or your child’s College Office, if you would like to leave medication for your child on site.