Sixth form is a very common option for further education for students aged 16-18. It is also quite commonly known that sixth form at this point is not the only option available to students. Whatever you do post-16, attendance is important, but especially in sixth form. You do not have to attend sixth form but signing up means that you agree to attend all your lessons. However, what happens if your attendance is exceptionally low in sixth form?
A sixth form can kick students out due to very bad attendance. However, this will really only happen in very bad cases, if most of the lessons are being missed due to unauthorised absences, and the school is unable to get in contact with the student or family to find a reason. In other cases, like a few missed days every now and then, they will be very unlikely to kick you out. Of course, there are other reasons, like exceptionally bad behaviour, that could cause a sixth form to remove you.
In this article, we will continue to discuss attendance, and whether there is a legal requirement for students to attend. If you would like to find out more, please read on.
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Can you get kicked out of sixth for attendance?
If your attendance is extremely bad, then sixth forms can kick you out. This may only happen if the attendance is extremely bad. The school will first try to get in contact with family to ask if there is a particular reason for the absences. Only in extreme cases, where they cannot get in contact and attendance is consistently bad, will a sixth form consider expelling a student.
If the school grants the student authorised absences, this will not count towards that as the student has gained permission. For more information on this, check out this Think Student article.
Does attendance matter at sixth form?
From the perspective of the school, attendance is quite important. The student has applied to, and accepted admission, to that sixth form. This means they agree to attend every lesson possible. If they are not doing this, then they are not meeting the expectations.
Sometimes, there will be a waiting list of other students wanting to attend that sixth form. The school may find that while you may not want to attend, other students will want to attend.
Schools also dislike bad attendance, as it does not look good to Ofsted. Attendance is one of the things that Ofsted will look at, and if attendance is bad, the school could look very bad to Ofsted.
From the student’s perspective, missing out on lessons can be very costly. Attending sixth form usually means that A-Levels will be taken in Year 13. Missing out on lessons means missing vital lesson time and information towards your exams.
Do universities look at sixth form attendance?
It is very unlikely that universities will look at attendance. If you want to know more about this, you can click on this link to a Think Student article.
Universities may be more concerned with your grades, references, and interviews. However, this should not be an excuse to slack off during sixth form.
What is the attendance law at sixth form?
In the UK, sixth form is not mandatory. In England, some form of further education is required from 16-18, which could be apprenticeships or T-Level, or in this case sixth form. To find out more about further education, you can click on this link to a Think Student article.
In Scotland, Wales and Northern Island, education after 16 is not compulsory, so attendance at a sixth form isn’t. To find out more about this, you can click on this link to another Think Student article.
However, if you choose to go to sixth form, there will still be a minimum attendance expected for you. Typically, your attendance should not fall below 95%.
What happens if your attendance is too low at sixth form?
If your attendance is too low, the worst that can happen is being kicked out of the sixth form. A lot of things may happen before that though. First the school will try and get in contact if it notices a regular pattern, or an extended period of absence. If it finds a good reason for the students absence, it may authorise it.
If not, the school will tell the student to return to school. However, if the student doesn’t comply, or the school cannot get in contact with the student, then it may expel them.
Fines are very unlikely to be received as sixth form is not compulsory. If you do get kicked out of sixth form, in England you are required to attend another form of further education. If you want to find out more about what happens if you don’t attend sixth form, this Think Student article will help.
Ultimately, different schools will deal with situations differently, but the information in this article could be considered a general guide.
In this article we have discussed attendance within sixth form. The student should remember that missing out on lessons can cost them in their exams and their wider life. If they are in a situation where they feel unable to attend, they should get in contact with the school to discuss their circumstances and future options.