Attendance policy for adults and apprentices

By accepting a place with Newcastle City Learning learners agree to the following regarding attendance:

•    Learners must commit to attending all the lessons which make up their programme of study.  Missed lessons are an opportunity for learning missed.  However, we recognize that our adult learners have busy lives and family commitments which in some instances might make coming to class not possible.  In those instances, Newcastle City Learning will endeavor to ensure that any missed learning is caught up, wherever practical to do so.

•    Learners must register at every lesson. Learners should familiarise themselves with their learning programme timetable. Learners are responsible for engaging and attending all aspects of their programme.  Registration will be taken at each lesson to provide evidence that learners are on time, are engaging well, and progressing on their programme of learning.  However, if you are running late to class, please let us know so that the tutor can minimize disruption to other learners in the group.

•    Apprentices should attend all scheduled planned off-the-job learning sessions.  The dates and times of those sessions will be provided well in advance and shared with line managers and work mentors.  Every effort should be made to attend workshops regularly and time should be allocated to apprentices so that they can do so within work time.  This is a condition of the apprenticeship funding rules.

•    Remember employers look for people who are on time and can be relied upon to turn up regularly.
 

Authorised and unauthorised absence

In some cases, NCL will consider an absence to be authorised.  In these instances, tutors will provide learners with an alternative way of completing the learning and work for the session the learner has missed to not disrupt their learning and progress.

This should be the exception, rather than the rule.  Extended support beyond planned learning sessions will not be made available.

Planned absence

If learners know that they are going to be absent or late, they should let the tutor know as soon as possible, For example, they could gain authorised absence for a hospital appointment, or might need to tell their tutor when they cannot get away from work early enough to make the start of class.  

If learners know that they need to be away, but do not apply for an authorised absence and they miss one of their classes, we will assume they don’t have permission to be away, and the absence will be marked down as unauthorised.

Unplanned absence

Learners need to phone NCL on Telephone number 0191 277 3506 to advise that they will not be attending class.  

Tutors should be contacting adult learners after two consecutive missed sessions to identify any barriers to learning and offer support.

Where adult learners have missed three consecutive sessions, and no contact can be made with the learner, the learner will be withdrawn from their programme to ensure timely withdrawal in line with funding rules.

Updated September 2024.