Skip to content ↓

Parents are responsible for ensuring that their child attends College regularly and on time. It is therefore important that parents inform the College the reasons for a child’s absence as soon as possible. Wherever possible, a telephone call to the College in the morning will aid our attendance procedures. If not, parents must provide a note explaining all absences. The telephone number of the Student Absence Line is 01733 703991. Alternatively, please e-mail studentabsence@sirharrysmith.com .  The College is responsible for ensuring that all absence is either “authorised” or “unauthorised”. Parents should explain any absence and it is the duty of the College to decide if the explanation is one that can be authorised. Reasons such as looking after younger children or shopping are not authorised absences.  In particular, absence will not be authorised for students with a poor attendance record.

  • parents should avoid taking their children out of school during term-time to go on holiday, and do not have any right or entitlement to do so.
  • leave for the purpose of a family holiday will only be granted in exceptional circumstances and in most cases will be refused (exceptional circumstances are exemplified in the guidance on the college website, and the leaflet "Family Holidays during Term Time and Extended Visits Overseas". - www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk )
  • if leave is granted, it is for a single period of absence which occurs once in a school year, not several two or three day breaks.
  • if a student's average attendance falls below 95% it is highly unlikely that the holiday request will be authorised (NB, a two week holiday immediately takes a student's attendance to just below 95%).
  • holidays which are taken without the college's permission are coded as unauthorised and the Educational Welfare Officer is informed.
  • holidays should, at all costs be avoided during external examination periods (GCSEs, A Levels).
  • In extreme circumstances the College reserves the right to direct the Education Welfare Officer to take parents to court, in cases of persistent absence.