poor attendance in sixth year

so basically my attendance atm is 81% which is kinda bad and I know the school have to say something once it passes a certain point but I have personal reasons for why I'm off a lot.

for starters in my whole time in secondary school ( I'm in the sixth form of the school I have attended all my secondary school life so the teachers know me well) never had full attendance in any academic year but this year (so far) is the lowest my attendance % has ever been. I did have 100% attendance for 2 years straight at the end of primary school. so this is definitely due to personal issues.

my head of year called the people with poor attendance out of class this afternoon to speak to us and long story short he basically said if it doesn't improve by January we may have to leave school.

yesterday I was approached by my head of year individually and he said school isn't for you so why don't you leave. I feel really depressed at the minute that's why I'm off so much and I feel I work better at home and them saying I should leave school doesn't help either, if I didn't want to stay in school I would have left on the 30th of June. I want my A levels but I feel I cannot attend school everyday.

my school know how stressed i can be, I was the same during my GCSEs but not as bad as i am now. I got my parents to ask if I can work from home when I need to but my head of year said no that cannot happen which I think is so un supportive because it's not as if i want to do it because I can't be arsed coming, I have a good reason.

what should I do? and would they actually kick someone out or do they just say stuff like that?

What has the doctor said? Its a given that if you go to school then you go to lessons and not just when it suits you. It sets a poor example for all the other students and decreases your chance of passing.

Go and see your GP if you havent to get a diagnosis and medical note.
You are going to have to decide if you can up your attendance or not. If you dont manage it in the next six weeks, then they are going to ask you to leave, even if you did have good attendance in primary school.

They arent going to recognise your reason unless its backed up by the GP and probably a therapist. You can then claim you are disabled and they cannot discriminate against you under the Equaliy act.

Personally I would be more bothered that missed school would result in poor grades. You should have dealt with this issue sooner.

Maybe you can go to college the following year or just do A levels by distance learning if your parents have the mioney?

My attendence all throughout sixth form was just over 75% and I still got good grades (this was with no support from the school either) so "low" attendence doesn't always = poor grades (although it's funny how no one ever seems to look at low attendence = low grades as a reflection of how badly a school is doing at supporting those who are off ill a lot and/or good at inspiring those not turning up due to lack of interest to actually engage...)
That said I agree that OP needs to get a doctor's note about their depression if they want their school to be tolerant of them being off more than most people (especially as schools seem to be cracking down on absences)

Not really. They are still a child and its their responsibility to attend all lessons, not just when they like. Bored or not.

Being ill is different.

If they have a lack of interest then they should go and do an apprenticeship or find a school thats better suited.

The OP needs to take responsibility for their situation. The school wont care , especially if they have already said they are not suited. They would rather the OP left than drag their results down. they know the pupil better than either of us.

yes but it's not that im.not ''suited in school'' I just don't feel like I can work in school due to this. I have anxiety which is diagnosed. I don't want to leave school without a levels, nor do I want to go to an FE college or go into employment. I need the school to work with me.

it really frustrates me when they tell me to leave, it's not like I chose to get depressed. leaving school won't solve the situation but working from home in agreement with the school will

This is why you need to use the Equality Act and get medical backing.
As far as the school is concerned, then they dont really care unless they are forced to.

If you leave it might do no good for you, but you are off their books, so they wont care.

Dont you have a special educational needs teacher?

Go and see your GP.

im.going to. I find it ironic of them to instantly say no. last year my year group had the lowest attendance in the school and someone had 30% attendance. I don't even know how that was allowed and we were of compulsory school age last year.

the point I'm making to the school is it's hardly fair to allow someone to miss way over half the school year due to their personal issues but say no instantly to me especially when I've told them i feel depressed, it's as if they think im.being OTT and that being depressed is no reason to be away from school.

but yes I will get the GP to back it up

You need to learn to pick your battles. Dont bother about other people get yourself sorted out first. You can always appeal,l or make a complaint if they try and force you out.

absolutely. I can't believe they'd even think of kicking someone out due to this kind of thing. like if they did and I told people about it, it wouldn't exactly give them a good reputation, god I thought schools cared about their pupils.

I've honestly thought of leaving school and then returning in the new academic year and starting all over again but my parents seem to think I'd be a failure if i done that but it's not like I'd be sitting around the house doing nothing for the rest of the year, I'd get a part time job. but that was just s thought that crossed my mind - I want to get my a levels and have them done.

I dont think you understand what im saying. Just focus on you and your problems and stop distracting yourself about other people or what you did in primary school.

The issue is your attendance is lower than they want. You have to decide how you will get them to see your side.

Last year I took like 3 months off school due to anxiety (my gcse year) and I was told by teachers I was going to fail and I had no hope of passing - I got 1 mark off full marks in my drama exam, and the rest A’s and B’s and a C in chemistry (which I was predicted an E in) so attendance doesn’t = good grades! I had to take a year out bc of how bad my anxiety was and Ive started lower sixth now but I’ve been off for a few full weeks due to my other medical problems landing me in hospital. The school have worked with me and offered me to take my mocks in a private room to help with my anxiety and they said to get me back in they can phase me in and go home in my frees. Ask your head of year if they can provide any of this for you! I hope you continue on at school 😊