• If your child is poorly, you must phone into the academy by 8.30am on each day of illness.
  • Boston Spa Academy could request reasonable medical evidence in cases where clarification is needed to accurately record absence.
  • In line with NHS guidance, absences due to common colds, headaches and sore throats will not be authorised.
  • If your child has got a health problem such as asthma, epilepsy, diabetes or suffers from allergies, there is no reason your child cannot come to the academy and enjoy a normal everyday academy life like other children.
  • Most health problems can be managed within the academy with help; just ask your attendance manager for support.
  • If your child is poorly, you must notify us as soon as possible, either using the Reach More Parents App (which can be downloaded from your App store) or via the absence line on 01937 846636, option 1. If possible, please indicate when you expect your child to return to school.
  • Medical appointments only authorised with evidence.

  • Some absences can be classified for statistical purposes as authorised absences, these include:
    • Sporting activities
    • College interviews
    • Life events, e.g., weddings and funerals
    • Medical appointments
    • Religious holidays
  • Other absences will be unauthorised.
  • If a student arrives after the register has closed, without a valid reason, the attendance register must reflect this as an unauthorised absence.
  • Student attendance reflects the amount of time a student has spent in school. Therefore, a student will not be able to keep their 100% attendance following absence, authorised or unauthorised.
  • The registers open and close at the following times:
      Open Close
    Morning 08:35 09:05
    Afternoon 13:05 13:35
  • Students who are not present during these sessions are marked as absent for the whole of that session in line with government guidance, whether the absence is authorised or not

  • Leave for medical appointments will only be authorised when accompanied by evidence. This may include a confirmation text, hospital letter, or record of attendance.
  • Where possible, appointments should be arranged outside of school hours.
  • Where a full-day absence is taken for an appointment, we will authorise one session only. If a student fails to attend before/after an appointment and it is possible for them to do so, this absence will be unauthorised. Except in the case of an all day appointment.

  • If your child is off school and you do not ring the office to report the absence you will receive an alert via the Reach More Parents app or email asking you to confirm the reason for your child’s absence. Alternatively, you may receive a call from our attendance manager or our attendance officer. Please note that to ensure we only contact parents where truly necessary, messages are sent once registers have been verified as accurate, usually before 10am.
  • If your child is absent from school for more than three days, you will receive a phone call home or a home visit to see if any support is required.
  • If your child’s attendance drops below 96% it will be monitored closely.
  • If your child’s attendance falls below 90% they will be recognised as a persistent absentee and may be reported to the local authority.

  • Home visits conducted by the pastoral, inclusion and/or the attendance team
  • Letters regarding attendance will be sent home to advise you of further action.
  • A formal attendance meeting will be arranged in school. This will be followed up where necessary with a School Attendance Panel meeting.
  • Please be aware that Boston Spa Academy works closely with Leeds City Council and will transfer any cases of persistently poor attendance for possible prosecution in either the Family or Magistrates court.
  • If there is still no improvement, your case could be passed to the local authority for possible prosecution – this could result in a fine or a prison sentence.

Days attended per week Attendance % Amount of time missed per year
School every day 100% –
4½ days 90% 19 days – almost 4 weeks
4 days 80% 38 days – over 7 weeks
3½ days 70% 57 days – more than 11 weeks
  • An average attendance of 80% or less across a child’s school career adds up to missing a whole 2 years from school.
  • Being late for school reduces learning time.
  • If your child is 5 minutes late every day they will miss three days of learning each year.
  • If your child is 15 minutes late every day they will miss 2 weeks of learning each year.
  • Students who arrive late after 9.05 without good reason are marked as absent for the morning session. These absences are unauthorised and could lead to penalty notices being issued.

Maintaining an attendance record of a minimum of 95% is a brilliant achievement, and one that we are delighted to reward and celebrate. Students who achieve 95% attendance will be given the opportunity to access all attendance reward events that take place across the academic year.

Throughout the academic year, we host several large-scale events at the end of every term to reward our students for their fantastic attendance.

Students achieve one club point per full day of attendance. This information will be shared with students on a weekly basis during their Positive Discipline lesson.

We recognise that excellent attendance is a huge achievement and one that deserves significant reward and celebration. However, we also recognise that in some cases, absence from school is unavoidable. Examples of exceptional circumstances include:

  • To observe a religious event, including attending the wedding of a family member
  • To attend a specialist medical appointment related to a lifelong medical condition
  • To grieve for, and attend the funeral of, an immediate family member

All requests for an exception must be authorised by the Attendance Team and the Senior Leadership Team. Please complete an Exceptional Circumstances Form and return it to the academy by email or post.

Please note that even if an exceptional circumstance is approved, while it will allow the student to receive their daily club point, the absence will still be reflected in the student’s attendance percentage. The register is a legal document and must accurately reflect the time a student spends in school.

Routine illness (e.g. sickness and diarrhoea, flu, COVID-19) does not qualify as an exceptional circumstance.

Holidays will not be approved under any circumstances and may result in a fine being issued by Leeds City Council.

During the 2025/26 academic year, we revolutionised the way in which our young people are rewarded and celebrated for maintaining strong attendance with the launch of Daily Club Points.

Through this initiative, all students who attend school are rewarded and can choose how they wish to spend their daily club points across the academic year. Students can use points to access:

  • Termly events
  • Cabinet prizes (please note that some prizes are available on a first come, first served basis)
  • The large-scale final event of the year

Everyone is rewarded for attendance. With a target attendance of 95%, students can earn enough points to access the entire attendance reward programme.

If you have any questions regarding attendance or the Daily Club Points Programme, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The principal may grant exceptional leave in certain circumstances, including:

  • to mark a religious observance, including attending the wedding of a family member.
  • to attend a specialist medical appointment related to a lifelong medical condition.
  • to grieve for and attend a funeral of an immediate family member.

Exceptional leave will not be granted for holidays under any circumstances.

Please note that exceptional leave being granted means that an absence will be authorised, but will not preserve a student’s attendance. All absence affects attendance.

Please use the form below to apply for exceptional leave to be granted.

Exceptional Leave Form