Attendance & Punctuality
Absence Categories and the 20-Day Absence Policy
Absences are divided into three types: school-approved, parent-approved, and unauthorised absences.
If a student accumulates more than 20 days of parent-approved or unauthorised absences in a single academic year, the school will not issue transcript grades for that term. School-approved absences are not counted towards the 20-day absence record. Any absence lasting any portion of a half-day will be defined and recorded as a half-day absence.
Any absence, whether approved or not, will have an impact on the student’s academic progress. Both students and parents should treat the 20-day absence policy with great seriousness. If a student misses 20 days of school in an academic year, their overall attendance rate will fall below 90%, which universities view very negatively.
School-Approved Absences (not counted towards the 20-day limit) include:
- Exam preparation leave and study leave for official external examinations (detailed explanation below)
- University interview leave
- Passport/visa application leave
- Bereavement leave (approved by the Head or Principal)
- School-organised music, sports, and team activities
Parent-Approved Absences (counted towards the 20-day limit) include:
- Illness / medical / dental issues, including vaccinations (medical certificates/proof must be provided)
- Other leave requested by parents with the school's agreement
Unauthorised Absences (counted towards the 20-day limit) specifically include:
- Suspension or required leave of absence
- Unexcused absence from class
In principle, all leave requests must be submitted one week in advance; otherwise, they will be treated as unauthorised, unexcused absences. External examinations, visa interviews, etc., are known in advance, so students should not request leave for these purposes at the last minute.
Students Leaving School During School Hours
From 8:00 a.m. until the end of CCA time (or until the end of the last class on Friday), students are not permitted to leave the campus during school hours. Students who do not have CCA on a given day are also not allowed to leave the school premises until CCA time ends. Students may purchase drinks and snacks at the school café or canteen or bring food and drinks from home.
Any student who needs to leave school during the day for any reason must first obtain permission. Such permission to leave school can only be granted by the Pastoral team. A student may leave school only if their parent (or guardian) provides a valid reason in writing (or by phone). All leave requests should be submitted to the Assistant Head of Year, who will assist the student in obtaining a “Permission to Leave School” pass. This pass must be handed to the security guard at the gate upon departure. If a student leaves school due to illness, the parent (or their designated representative) must pick up the student. The student must wait in the Medical Centre until picked up by a parent or authorised person.
Leave Requests for Boarding Students
Relevant regulations for boarding students can be found in the Boarding Handbook (scan the QR code below).
Exam Leave
The school does not encourage students to take additional leave for exam revision. Subject teachers will arrange review sessions. Except for specific school-designated exam leave periods, all students must attend classes on time. All students should be in school.
During the university application process, if students need to take additional external examinations at outside institutions, they must apply for leave one week in advance, complete the designated form, and attach relevant exam registration information and admission tickets. Failure to notify the school in advance and leaving school will be regarded as an unauthorised absence.
For Year 13 students only: For SAT/ACT/TOEFL/IELTS examination leave, students may request leave up to two times per academic year. Taking the IELTS or TOEFL on weekends does not qualify for leave. Taking the IELTS or TOEFL on weekdays does qualify for leave. Since the ACT exam can be taken at our school, leave is not permitted for this purpose. Leave requests must be submitted at least one week in advance. Failure to apply in advance and leaving school will be considered an unauthorised absence. If a student requests leave on the day before or the day after an approved exam leave period for any reason, those absence days will be treated as unauthorised absences.
Students in Year 10, Year 11, IG1, PAL and Year 12 are not permitted to take exam leave.
If a student takes leave on the day before or the day after an examination for any reason, all absence days related to that examination will be considered unauthorised leave.
Year 13 students: Year 13 students whose attendance falls below the accepted level will be excluded from school social events such as the end-of-year graduation photo, the graduation ceremony, awards evening, farewell assembly, etc. Attending such events is a privilege, not a right, and is reserved for those students who are fully engaged in school life.