16 Sep 2025
Attendance - Every Day Matters
Important Information for Parents
Every day counts … Your child’s attendance matters!
Hampshire County Council Behaviour and Attendance Guidance
Absence Reporting
To report an absence, please use the ClassCharts app, or contact the College on 01489 892 256 (Option 1) before 8am and leave a message.
Attendance
Good attendance is essential in supporting progress and continuity of learning. Therefore, pupil absences need to be kept to the absolute minimum.
A Pupil should be absent only if:
- there is a genuine illness;
- there is an unavoidable medical appointment which has to take place during school hours. Please make routine appointments after college or during the holidays;
- there are exceptional family/ personal circumstances which necessitate this.
Absence in term time should be avoided.
The College does not normally authorise absence for pupils unless there are exceptional circumstances. We are afraid that we cannot accept the cost of a holiday as an exceptional circumstance.
ALL reasons for absence will be meticulously checked.
Should you wish to make a request for any kind of absence during term time, please collect an orange 'Leave of Absence' form from Visitor Reception, or pupils can collect this from Pupil Reception, and complete and return the form, along with any supporting evidence.
Why good attendance is important
There are many reasons why having good attendance is important:
- Positive correlation between attendance and attainment
- To improve mental, physical and social health
- To create and keep healthy routines
- To keep on top of lesson workload
We understand that there can be many factors which affect attendance; here are some tips to help improve attendance and make accessing Swanmore easier:
- Speak to someone. If there are any barriers to attendance, speak to a member of staff as soon as possible; your child's tutor is always first point of contact.
- Create good habits to make the mornings easier. For example, get bags ready the night before and have a healthy breakfast before leaving.
- Praise - the power of positivity can be infectious.
