Excellent attendance is vital for academic success in the sixth form, as data consistently shows that missing 10% of lessons usually causes a student to drop an entire GCSE or A-Level grade. While Post-16 education does not share the exact same statutory parental penalties as compulsory school ages, we monitor attendance to secure government funding and ensure student safety.
Sixth form requires attendance at all components of a student’s personalised study program, not just their main academic subjects. This includes:
Timetable Lessons: Compulsory attendance for all selected A-Level subjects, vocational courses, PSHE and directed enrichment.
Morning Registration: Daily form time or personal development sessions.
Compulsory Retakes: Mandatory attendance for GCSE English or Maths retake lessons if required.
Enrichment & Assemblies: Scheduled future pathways, workshops, or group sports activities.
Unlike lower school years, our sixth form students are often given privileges regarding “free periods” or non-contact time, though these are regulated:
Signing in/out: Students must use the signing in app whenever they enter or leave the premises for safeguarding and fire safety reasons.
Home study privileges: Students can leave early if they have no lessons during certain periods of the day, provided they maintain good progress.
Privilege revocation: If a student’s attendance drops or their coursework falls behind, home-study privileges will be revoked and they will be placed into full-time study on-site.
Sixth form students must proactively communicate absences via Arbor or an email to the attendance team attendance@chilwellschool.co.uk.
Acceptable (Authorised) Absences: University open days, official driving tests (practical only), pre-arranged medical appointments with proof, religious observances and high-level sporting or musical performances.
Unacceptable (Unauthorised) Absences: Driving lessons, family holidays and birthdays, looking after siblings, part-time work shifts, or waiting at home for deliveries.
Failure to meet our attendance expectations will lead to escalation (see attendance policy document). Initial steps involve loss of home-study privileges, exclusion from reward trips, or the withholding of student bursaries. If attendance continues to decline below 90% after interventions, we reserve the right to withdraw the student from their final examinations or permanently remove them from sixth form roll.