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Quality Handbook Supplement 2D - Apprentice Attendance Policy

Find out about apprentice attendance monitoring requirements, expectations and processes at Nottingham Trent University.

Latest version as of September 2026.

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1. Introduction

Apprentice attendance is a core element of apprenticeship programmes at NTU. High levels of absence are often a strong indication that the apprentice is at risk of failing the course or that there may be other problems.

1.1 The NTU Student Charter articulates the expectation that all students will:
‘…take responsibility for managing your own learning, participate in induction and tutorials, engage in your course and all timetabled sessions and respond to feedback you receive.’ Student Charter, June 2026.

1.2 Whilst the responsibility to engage remains that of the apprentice, NTU has a responsibility to explain expectations, promote good engagement and support students who do not engage.

1.3 Successful re-engagement of apprentices can improve academic progression between levels and contribute to improved apprentice outcomes. Academic progression rates (continuation) are regulated as an ongoing Condition of Registration by the Office for Students.

1.4 Apprenticeships are funded and regulated differently from traditional undergraduate and postgraduate studies. There are additional requirements relating to apprentices’ attendance and engagement with their apprenticeship. Some of these requirements have a direct impact on the University’s funding and quality assurance obligations. These are:

  1. Department for Education (DfE) requirements. The DfE requires training providers to record that apprentices are in ‘active learning’ every calendar month. The DfE apprenticeship funding rules state: ‘the provider is responsible for ensuring that there is a plan for OTJT active learning to take place at least in every calendar month of the practical period (from the learning start date to the learning actual end date).’ (p.46)
    • Further information: A break in learning must be used where there is no plan for active learning to take place within a calendar month.
  2. Ofsted Requirements: Ofsted expects that institutions should have high expectations for learners’ attendance and participation, that there is an appropriate strategy in place and that the root causes of poor attendance and participation should be identified and dealt with removing the barriers that might prevent some learners from attending. Attendance and participation forms part of the framework used for Ofsted’s judgement.
  3. Employer Requirements: Apprentices are released by their employer for periods where apprentices are attending University sessions. This release from work is part of their normal paid working hours. Employers request regular reports on their employee’s attendance from the University.

1.2 The purpose of apprentice attendance monitoring is to:

  1. Provide information on which to base early interventions to encourage apprentices to engage with their course, and to identify relevant support.
  2. Provide employers with regular reports on their employee’s attendance as their learning at NTU forms part of the apprentice’s normal paid working hours.
  3. Ensure that requirements for DfE, Ofsted, and Skills England are met.

2. Scope

2.1 These requirements apply to all apprentices at Levels 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.

3. How attendance is monitored

3.1 NTU monitors apprentice attendance through the Apprenticeship Dashboard.

3.2 Attendance is measured against every mandatory session in the apprentice’s timetable.

3.3 Where a session is marked as optional in the timetable, non-attendance will not negatively impact on the apprentice’s overall attendance but if attended, it will positively impact on their attendance percentage.

3.4 Attendance is captured as ‘present’, ‘authorised absence’ or ‘absence’.

3.5 Apprenticeship Course Leaders receive a weekly notification showing the attendance breakdown for the week prior if scheduled sessions have taken place. This breakdown shows if the attendance was authorised or not. Course Leaders can access detailed data through the Apprenticeship Dashboard.

3.6 Line Managers within employer organisations receive a weekly notification if their apprentice is absent from a session the week prior. This notification shows whether the absence was authorised or not.

4. Requirements

This policy sets the minimum expectations for apprentice attendance monitoring.

4.1 Course teams are required to articulate expectations for apprentices and promote a culture of engagement and attendance. This is particularly important during induction but must continue year-round. It will encompass that apprentices must:

  1. Manage their own learning in a professional manner and prioritise participating in their studies;
  2. Prepare for, attend, and actively engage in timetabled sessions (face-to-face or online);
  3. Complete attendance monitoring requirements accurately and truthfully. Falsely recording attendance when an apprentice is not in attendance may be considered as academic dishonesty as described in the University’s academic integrity policy;
  4. Inform the course team and employer if they are unable to attend; and ensure that they have made good any missed work and seek further help if required;
  5. Keep contact details up to date;
  6. Periodically review their own attendance through progress review meetings.

4.2 Some apprentices may face additional barriers to attendance due to legitimate circumstances. These may relate to protected equality characteristics described in the Equality Act 2010; in these cases, the University has a legal obligation to ensure that apprentices do not suffer a disadvantage due to these characteristics.

4.3 There may be other factors not covered by this legislation that require additional consideration, for example: caring responsibilities. Whilst, as far as possible, apprentices in this position are still expected to attend, they should discuss their needs with their course team and employer and agree a plan of action to enable them to continue with the course.

4.4 Where specialist advice or additional support would be useful, apprentices should be referred to Student Support Service.

4.5 Course teams are required to record apprentice attendance at sessions to enable effective monitoring using the Apprenticeship Dashboard and the identification of subsequent action.

4.6 Course teams must ensure that the following responsibilities are undertaken:

  1. Ensure that they have access to the Apprenticeship Dashboard and know how to navigate it;
  2. Discuss apprentice’s engagement with them through progress reviews;
  3. Advise apprentices that they must make their employer aware of any absence;
  4. Respond in a timely manner to queries from employer attendance notifications;
  5. Familiarise themselves with relevant policies so they can advise apprentices of options available to them if there are concerns with attendance. These are:
    1. Support to Study Policy: for when health, wellbeing and associated behaviour affects and apprentice’s learning.
    2. Break in Learning Guidance: for when an apprentice seeks an authorised pause in the apprenticeship training.
    3. Consideration of Personal Circumstances Policy (Quality Handbook Section 17A): where an apprentice submits a notification that their assessment will be affected by a personal circumstance.

4.7 The School Executive Team (SET) will ensure course teams’ compliance with this policy. It will oversee and assure:

  1. That course teams promote a culture of attendance to their apprentices;
  2. That course teams have sufficient resource to undertake their duties.

4.8 The Apprenticeships Team will:

  1. Manage a process to share information of apprentices who are absent from university. This consists of:
    1. Weekly attendance overview notifications to course teams
    2. Maintenance of the Apprenticeships Data Dashboard
    3. Weekly absence notifications to employers
  2. Work with schools to ensure courses can follow this process
  3. Carry out appropriate interventions should compliance with the Department for Education Apprenticeship Funding Rules be breached.

4.9 School Apprenticeships Sub-committees will:

  1. Review attendance as part of quality assurance processes;
  2. Identify areas where further analysis or interventions are required;
  3. Set, maintain and provide assurance of progress against actions for attendance interventions.

Change History

Approval Date:

16.10.25

Nature of Revisions:

New policy.

Implementation Date:

16.10.25

Approval Date:

01.09.26

Nature of Revisions:

None

Implementation Date:

01.09.26