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Absence Reporting & Attendance
Student Absence Reporting
The process of reporting your child absent is changing from Monday 15th September 2025.
We request that you use the MCAS App.
- If your child is unwell and unable to attend school you must use the Attendance tab in the MCAS App.
- You will be requested to provide the date of absence and reason.
- The reason for absence must be submitted no later than 8.15am on the first and each subsequent day of absence.
If you need to notify the Attendance Team of a medical appointment, please log it on the MCAS App,
record the absence and forward evidence of this appointment via email to attendance@joa.herts.sch.uk
If you need to notify the Attendance Team of your child being late for school,
Please send an email to attendance@joa.herts.sch.uk, stating the reason for lateness.
Please remind your child to sign in at Student Reception on arrival.
Please do not email teachers or other members of staff as this information can be delayed in reaching the Attendance Team which can result in absence alerts being sent unnecessarily to parents.
Requests for Exceptional leave of absence
REQUESTS FOR STUDENT EXCEPTIONAL LEAVE OF ABSENCE
DURING TERM TIME
Changes made to legislation in September 2013 make clear that Headteachers may not
grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Headteachers no longer have the discretion to allow up to 10 days in a school year for a
family holiday or to agree to extended leave for parents to visit their country of origin.
If there are exceptional circumstances behind a request, please state these reasons when completing the exceptional leave of absence. Once complete the form should be returned to school for the attention of the Headteacher. Requests for exceptional leave should be sent to the school with as much notice as possible, at least 2 weeks in advance.
If your child is absent from school because of a holiday which has not been agreed, this will be classified as an unauthorised absence and you may be fined or legal action taken against
you.
As a school we have always had high expectations regarding attendance and punctuality.
Over the course of a year, we would expect whole school attendance and individual
attendance to be at least 96%. The Department for Education considers anything less than 90% as persistent absence. In order to achieve such high levels of attendance it is important
that parents:
- prioritise education in school;
- discuss concerns they may have about a student who is reluctant to be in school;
- avoid arranging dental and medical appointments during the school day;
- accept that it is not appropriate to use term time for holidays and family gatherings.
If you do need to request leave of absence for exceptional circumstances you must
complete the leave of absence request form. However, do not assume the request
will be granted.
We urge all parents to be mindful of the impact absences have on their child’s learning. The table below shows what portion of Year 11 students achieve a minimum of 5 GCSEs graded 9-4 if their attendance falls into a particular range.
| Attendance | Number of students achieving 5 GCSEs with grades 9-4 |
|---|---|
| 93-94% | 54.9% |
| 92-93% | 40.65% |
| 90-92% | 33% |
| 90% attendance over 2 years = 1/2 a term of missed education |
We are sure that you will want the best education for your child. By taking family holidays
during the designated holiday periods, you will be supporting your child’s full school
attendance, learning and development.