Attendance

It may be that your tutor identifies that notification of an absence could be made using TGIConnect. This will be explained during your induction process.

The following information outlines how absence is categorised, recorded and measured.

Absence

Absence is categorised in the following ways:

Authorised absence includes:

• Illness, medical and dental appointments. Parents and carers should be encouraged to make appointments out of College hours and ensure that their son/daughter returns to College as soon as possible following the appointment (see separate section for further explanation).
• Interviews with prospective employers or university
• Holidays in term time. Although Guernsey law does not preclude term-time holidays the College can express concern and disapproval of term-time holidays but does not have the power to refuse requests from parents. Parents should make written requests in advance for any leave to be taken in term time and each request should be considered individually. It is the responsibility of the Programme Manager to decide whether or not to grant this as authorised absence using the ‘H’ code. Otherwise it should be coded as “O” unauthorised absence. When making this decision the following factors should be considered:

• Overall pattern of attendance
• Type of normal mode of attendance and type of course
• Proximity to any examinations
• Length of proposed leave
• Learner’s ability to catch up on the work

Medical absence

16-18 students

When a student is absent from College the student or the parents are required to contact the personal tutor/ reception staff on the first day of any absence with an explanation for the reason for the absence. There should some indication as to when they anticipate return to College. Clearly, there are illnesses/medical reasons where the absence is likely to extend beyond five College days and this should be recorded as “M” authorised medical absence.

The College must make the decision on the use of appropriate coding taking into account factors such as previous attendance history and previous pattern of attendance. Parents are expected to keep the College informed of the reason for the ongoing absence from day one to five in order for the College to continue to record the absence as “M”, authorised medical absence.

Medical appointment

If a learner is known to have a medical /dental appointment, this should be recorded as “M”. If the appointment is during a session then the learner should be marked present at the start of the session and should use the College’s signing out system to record when they have left. It is expected that all learners leaving early sign out of their campus at the reception desk prior to departure.

No contact for absence

If the student or parents do not make contact with the College then the absence should be recorded as “N” (no reason yet provided). As this is a temporary code it should substituted after three College days at the latest with either an “O” (unauthorised circumstances) or “M” (authorised medical absence ) if the absence extends to three days.

When a learner has been absent for three days without explanation, and there has been no response from parents, then the College will send a standard letter home (see sample letter Appendix 3). If there is no contact from students and or parents following the third day of absence due to illness then continuing absence must be recorded as “O” (unauthorised). Where an absence persists beyond five days and there is no reason provided then the tutor/welfare support staff should contact the student and or the parents to discuss any difficulties which may be preventing the learner from attending. Good practice would be to invite parents into meet and discuss these difficulties. A record of this conversation/meeting between College staff and parents should be kept on the learner’s record on pro monitor. Meeting type ‘Absence meeting with parents’.

If the College does not accept the reason for medical absence as being valid then contact via the welfare support staff must be made with student and or parents to discuss the reason for absence and inform them if the decision is to not authorise that absence.

Frequent absence

If the tutor has concerns about the frequency or duration of a medical absence then this can be discussed initially with the student and may involve meetings with parent and subsequent referral to College nurse.

If there are regular short term illness absences which reach the cumulative threshold of four separate illness absences within a half term that are not supported by medical evidence then the College should arrange a meeting with parents/students to address the reasons for these absences. Welfare staff can at this point offer advice and guidance and design interventions to support student attendance. At this meeting achievement potential should be discussed. The outcome of the meetings should be recorded via pro monitor and follow up letter and agreement signed by student. The meeting type ‘Absence meeting with parents’.

Where the illness absence extends beyond six days or where there are repeated medical absences which reach the threshold (four separate illness absences during a single half term period regardless of the length of each) then it is reasonable for College to request that parents/students provide medical evidence in support of their son/daughter’s future medical absences from College. Evidence can take the form of medical certificates, medical notes, and letters from medical practitioners, or appointment notifications.

For 18 plus and part-time students

The expectation that all students should notify the college if they are ill in the same way they would notify their employer. It is expected that students would call on the first day of their absence  explaining the reason. This is then marked as “M”, authorised medical absence.

If the student does not make contact with the College then the absence should be recorded as “N” (no reason yet provided). For full-time students use N as a temporary code which should be substituted after three College days at the latest with either an “O” (unauthorised circumstances) or “M” (authorised medical absence).

For part-time students, if three constitutive absence are recorded then the College will send out the standard letter asking whether the student has withdrawn from the course.

Apprentice students

Absence for apprentices on registers is noted is in accordance with students who are 16-18. When an apprentice is late attending a class or is absent, then a notice of absence is produced to be sent to the employer of the apprentice. The Apprenticeship Scheme Manager verifies each letter before it is sent out, and in the case of recurring absences or where attendance is under 80%, will write a note on the absence report for the attention of the employer asking if there is a problem that the Apprenticeship Scheme and College should know about. For apprentices where there is a known situation and where there is regular dialogue with employers regarding attendance of particular apprentices, attendance will be communicated with the employer as part of these conversations.

In the event no letters are able to be printed, then monitoring attendance is more difficult and the overall attendance of the apprentice is monitored by the Apprenticeship Scheme Manager and Assistant. Tutors and Programme Managers will usually inform of recurring absence and if this continues to a level where it is becoming disruptive, the Apprenticeship Scheme Manager will find out as much about the attendance and circumstances of the apprentice from their employer, tutor and the College database. If there is no circumstance currently known where there is an attributable reason (multiple absences due to illness or family situation, for example) then the Apprenticeship Scheme Manager will get in contact with the employer, should the Apprentice reach a particularly low attendance level. Depending on the various circumstances (which may include reduced attendance at other periods) the Apprenticeship Scheme Manager will either treat the absences as a current situation and get in contact with the employer, or in cases where absences have been irregular (which is much harder to track than blocks of absence) then the an apprentice’s attendance will be mentioned during a conversation when the opportunity arises.

At the end of every term Grant Aid is paid to employers which is to subsidise the time apprentices are at College and is based on attendance. On the remittance for this grant, the termly attendance of each apprentice is listed, giving employers three notifications a year of their apprentices’ attendance if they are otherwise not notified due to situations described above.

Should apprentices have absences and want to discuss this with the Apprenticeship Scheme Manager, or they meet with the Apprenticeship Scheme Manager for another issue, then attendance will sometimes be discussed.

14-16 students

Absence is noted in the same way on the register for 16-18 learners. If frequent absences are noted the 14-16 liaison manager should be notified. The 14-16 manager and the High Schools will take the necessary actions.