Attendance

There are clear links between high levels of attendance and high levels of attainment. Ely College promotes and celebrates school attendance and expects all students to strive for 100% attendance.

Reporting a Student Absence

If your child is going to be absent from school, please let us know by 8.30am on each day that your child is absent from school. You can report an absence by:

• Calling the school office on 01353667763
• Emailing attendance@elycollege.co.uk
• Using the school’s absence reporting system: MCAS

Please include your child’s full name, year group, and reason for absence. 

If the student is absent and a notification of absence has not been received from the parent/carer, the school will record an unauthorised absence.

Guidance regarding attendance and government policy is available here.

Requesting Term Time Absence

If you need to request time off for your child during term time, please complete a Term Time Absence Request Form in advance.

Please note: Any absence of 10 consecutive sessions (equivalent to 5 school days) or more that is not authorised by the school under the exceptional circumstances policy may result in a Penalty Notice being issued to the parent/carer.

This letter below details Meridian Trust's updated school attendance policy and framework following new statutory guidance issued in July 2026.

The "Support-First" Approach

• Attendance Engagement Framework: A new system designed to take a "whole child" perspective, ensuring attendance issues are caught early and not discussed in isolation.
• Collaboration: The trust emphasizes working closely with families to identify and remove specific barriers preventing children from attending school.
• Senior Attendance Champions: Every academy within the trust now has a dedicated leader to manage data accuracy and lead attendance promotion.

Enforcements & Legal Thresholds

• Persistent Absence: Schools must intervene when a student misses 10 sessions in 10 school weeks.
• Legal Referrals: The trust will consider referring cases to the local authority for legal action (such as fines or prosecution) if a student reaches 10 unauthorised absences in 10 weeks.
• Holidays: Standard holidays or leisure trips do not qualify as exceptional circumstances and will automatically trigger a consideration for legal action.
• Notice to Improve: If support plans fail, parents will receive a formal "Notice to Improve Warning Letter" before full statutory legal actions are pursued.

How Parents Can Help

• Proactive Communication: Inform the school early about absences and provide supporting information to help accurately log the cause.
• Advance Requests: Submit requests for exceptional circumstances leave at least 3 weeks in advance using the ETTLA form.
• Smart Scheduling: Plan medical appointments outside of registration times whenever possible to prevent missed milestones and peer bonding.