Attendance at RGS 

We are always striving to achieve 100% attendance at RGS, and we are hoping that we can work with you to get as near to this target as possible. 

This is an update of the school’s policy on attendance, which is based on the DfE Guidelines.  At RGS we carry out a full academic programme throughout the year and have an expectation that pupils will commit to full attendance.   Low attendance severely hampers a student’s progress. To illustrate this in real terms, an attendance rate of 90% over 5 years is equivalent to half of a school year missed. The final paragraph of this document requests your full cooperation in encouraging all students to adhere to this policy.  

100% attendance will be rewarded by House Points and letters home. 

Expected attendance  

Years 7-11 0840-1530 daily 

Year 12 0840-1330 daily (unless timetabled lessons period 7 or 8, including Private Study) 

Year 13 0840-1330 daily (unless timetabled lessons period 7/8) 

Student Absence 

Please notify the Attendance Officers of an absence in the following ways: 

• By telephone 01494 551466  

• By email attendance@rgshw.com  

Illness 

Parents should advise the School Attendance Officers by 8:00 am on the first day of their son’s absence, and every day thereafter, stating their son’s name, his form, the reason for his absence (please give detail) and an expected date of return.  This information will be recorded in the register. 

Should a student be absent without contact from parents, this will be treated as a matter of concern for the child’s welfare.  Contact will be attempted by the school and external agencies will be involved where necessary. 

Medical/Dental Appointments and Music Exams 

If your son has medical/dental appointment or music exam which cannot be arranged outside of school hours, please inform the school as far in advance as is possible.  Your son must show his appointment card/letter to the Attendance Officer when he signs in/out of school, and music exams must be verified with a letter from the exam board. 

Please note that if your son is absent for AM registration or Period 5 (PM registration) his attendance percentage will be affected.  If your son has an unavoidable medical appointment during the school day, we would appreciate your support in arranging this, where possible, at lunchtime  to minimise the effect on his schooling. 

Late to School 

If your son arrives after 8.40am, without communication from a parent to the Attendance Officer by 9:15am the following day, he will automatically be given an after school detention.   Please use the phone number or email address above. 

Personal responsibility of students

If your son needs to sign out or in at any point in the school day, for a valid reason, he should report to the Student Hub.  He is also responsible for registering his attendance for additional music activities or sports lesson.  

We thank you for your support in helping us to ensure that your son receives the best education that we can provide; RGS recognises the strong link between attainment and attendance and the important role that parents play; whilst we will provide support and guidance, it is the parents’ legal responsibility to ensure regular attendance of their child. 

We will be monitoring your son’s attendance over the year, and will be in contact should this fall below 95%. If attendance falls below 90% we will invite you in for a meeting with the Head of Year to work with you to support your son further.

Leave of Absence 

In exceptional circumstances, requests for Leave of Absence can be made to the Attendance Officer.  This may include requests to attend a wedding or funeral of a first degree relative, a university visit, driving tests (not lessons), work experience, county level sport, and students in entertainment. 

Any request for Leave of Absence should be e-mailed to attendance@rgshw.com.  Please include an explanation of why this leave of absence needs to be taken during term time. 

Please note that the School cannot lawfully grant leave of absence for family holidays, except under clearly exceptional circumstances, and requests for LOA, in line with Government Guidelines, will normally not be authorised.  Absence requests are not generally granted and almost never to those whose attendance is below 98%.