Attendance in Sixth Form 

There is a clear link between attendance and achievement at A-Level. It is evident  that students who have low attendance also perform poorly in their A-Level studies.  At Matthew Arnold attendance is seen as extremely important and failure to maintain a high level of attendance will trigger the attendance intervention system.   When joining Sixth Form students are committing to meeting the attendance expectations of Matthew Arnold and failure to achieve the expected attendance level will ultimately result in a student losing their place in the Sixth Form.  Students are expected to maintain an attendance of 95% during their time in Sixth Form.  

Student Expectations

• Students are expected to maintain an attendance level of at least  95%. 

• Students must wear their lanyards when on the school site to identify them as members of the school community. 

• You must attend all registration, subject lessons, supervised study sessions, tutorials,  assemblies  and Personal Development Days, unless you have a valid reason. 

• Students are expected to follow all the behaviour codes that cover the rest of the school.   Sixth Form students are expected to behave in an exemplary manner in school in their behaviour and interactions with staff and other students acting as role models in the school community. 

• Students are expected to follow our  “Reflection & Restoration” policy.

• The regulations regarding smoking/vaping and mobile phone use apply to the Sixth Form and will be followed up in line with School policy (see below for more information).                   

• Students are expected to use their private study lessons productively. 

• When students have an independent study period they are expected to behave in a considerate and constructive way around the school site, modelling good learning behaviour and not disrupting other students or classes. 

• The Sixth Form Centre is a communal area. Students must behave in an appropriate and considerate way so that they do not disrupt other students’ learning.  High levels of noise are not acceptable if they disrupt others’ learning and you may be asked to leave if you continue to make noise when asked to reduce it. 

• All Sixth Form students are  responsible for maintaining the Sixth Form Centre in a clean and tidy manner.  At the end of break and lunch you should put your rubbish in the bin. 

• Students are perceived as role models in the school and their behaviour is expected to be exemplary at all times.  

Student Appearance

We expect Sixth Form students to dress in a professional manner and to be good role models to the rest of the school community.  Students are allowed to wear their own clothes. However the following items are not appropriate for the school environment:

• Crop tops and vests - your clothes should meet in the middle and should not expose the chest area and not be strapless.

• Very short bottoms. 

• Clothing that has any foul or offensive  language or images. 

Failure to dress in an appropriate manner may result in a student being sent home to change. 

Parental Support

These are some of the ways in which students can be supported.   See below:

• Set aside some time each week to talk about what is going on at school. 

• Attend the Parents’ Evenings and talk about the student’s progress. 

• Make sure the students have the proper equipment. 

• Encourage students to develop an awareness of current affairs by reading a newspaper or watching the news. 

• Make sure students have a quiet place to study, and that they get into the habit of doing their homework regularly before watching television or going out. 

• Ensure students get a good night’s sleep. 

• Check on homework regularly to see that it is all being done, and which parts deserve praise, or are causing problems. 

• Do not allow students to be late or absent without good reason - frequent days off will affect their performance, and may lead to bad habits later on. Attendance falling below 95% has a huge impact on their progress and attainment and can affect their social relationships. 

• Sometimes it will be necessary to correct students’ behaviour and we hope that you will support the school. We undertake to give students every possible chance to improve, and to treat everyone fairly, understanding that this is necessary for the calm and productive running of the school. Please support the school when discussing any sanctions with your child. 

• If there are any factors which may affect your child’s performance or wellbeing, please do let us know. We will treat all confidences with discretion and sensitivity.