Learner Attendance Guidance and Policy 2024/2025

Responsibility group Responsibility group ACL Extended Leadership Team

Policy Writer Vice Principal Quality and Compliance 

Last review date September 2024

Next review date August 2025

Audience All managers, academic and support staff, volunteers, learners, and other service users. Learners is inclusive of apprenticeships.

Stored Location Master Copy on ComEd Pool/Policies and Strategies. ACL Website

 

​​CONTENTS 

  • Policy Aims and Intentions
  • The Policy
  • Method of Implementation
  • Monitoring and Evaluation

 

 

POLICY AIMS AND INTENTIONS

To monitor and improve levels of attendance on all ACL courses and programmes, including work-based, centre based, and online/remote learning.

We aim to give learners the level of support needed to select and complete their course or programme, ultimately leading to successful completion of their learning aims.  It is important that the service aims to be proactive in monitoring performance in this area.

It is the policy of the Service that learner attendance is monitored, reviewed and appropriate strategies are implemented to support learner attendance and retention/achievement and success.

 

METHOD OF IMPLEMENTATION 

 

Attendance is monitored through:

  • E-Registers
  • Observation of Teaching and Learning
  • Tutor records
  • Attendance and retention data for all provision including apprenticeship provision
  • Completion and achievement data for all provision
  • Individual Learning Plans
  • Learner feedback
  • Employer feedback (as appropriate)
  • Student services withdrawal process
  • Course Reviews
  • Staff personal development reviews

 

The Service is committed to equal access to the curriculum for all its learners irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, gender and sexual orientation or social and economic circumstances.

 

Learners are expected to:

  • attend a minimum of 90% of learning
  • attend all sessions punctually; arriving prepared and ready for a prompt start
  • inform ACL staff in advance of non-attendance and reasons for this
  • demonstrate consistently high positive attitudes and commitment to their education and/or training.
  • set a positive example by treating others with respect and dignity
  • feedback to their tutor or other appropriate member of staff if they feel they are not progressing

 

Learners who fail to attend on 4 consecutive sessions/weeks will be withdrawn

 

Breaks in Learning (Apprentices only) 

A break in learning can be used for economic reasons, long term sickness, maternity leave, religious trips, etc.

 

The learner with the tutor’s agreement can suspend a learning aim while the learner takes a break from learning. This allows the learner to continue learning at a later date with the same eligibility that applied when they first started their learning aim.

 

Learners will not be funded during a break in learning.  Evidence needs to be provided that the learner agrees to return and continue with the same learning aim, otherwise they will be withdrawn from the learning programme. A break in learning must not be used for short-term absences, such as holidays or short-term illness.

 

 

MONITORING AND EVALUATING

 

Tutors are expected to:

  • follow up learner absence after the first non-attendance.  If there is a safeguarding concern this should be reported to the Safeguarding and EDI Lead.
  • keep regular contact with learners when absent
  • make necessary arrangements for learners with additional needs to receive appropriate, and timely support
  • keep in touch with the learners during periods of non-attendance (if suspended from work-based programmes)
  • provide additional learning resources and/or support so that learners are not disadvantaged when exceptional circumstances prevent attendance
  • liaise with employers (as appropriate) if employees or apprentices are not attending and put action plans in place for attendance to resume
  • have read the ACL Learner Charter and Learner Handbook
  • deliver high quality teaching, learning and assessment that motivates and inspires learners to attend

 

Related ACL Policies: 

ACL Equality and Diversity Policy

ACL Safeguarding and Prevent Policy

This policy is in conjunction with the following ACL policies: 

If you require this document in any other format, please email Lifelong.Learning@essex.gov.uk stating the document name in full and the format you need.