Student Engagement & Attendance
Essential Attendance and Engagement Guidelines for Central Film School Students
At Central Film School (CFS), learning is designed to mirror the film and television industry closely. Film and TV productions operate under strict deadlines and budgets where a single late crew member can waste thousands of pounds. Professionalism, reliability, and time management are just as important to your career as technical skills and talent. You can find full guidance on Student Engagement & Attendance here.
Key Attendance Expectations
- Target Rate: CFS expects students to maintain an attendance rate of at least 80% across all scheduled sessions.
- Mandatory Sessions: Attendance at all timetabled learning and teaching activities, whether held on campus or online, is compulsory.
- Loss of Privileges: Falling below the 80% attendance threshold may result in losing access to perks like kit and room bookings.
How to Record Your Attendance
- SISO QR Code: At the start of each class, scan the provided SISO QR Code using your phone or mobile device.
- Manual Sign-In: If you do not have access to a mobile device, ask your tutor to sign you in manually.
- Further Help: Full instructions are available on the Knowledge Hub here.
Reporting Absences
If illness or personal issues prevent you from attending class:
- Notify Early: Log your absence through the online attendance system in SISO and send an email to your tutor before class starts.
- Authorised Absences: If you are absent for more than three consecutive teaching days, submit supporting documentation within 10 working days of returning.
- Planned Absences: To request permission for a planned absence, submit a written request to your Course Leader in advance.
- Getting Support: If personal difficulties affect your attendance, schedule a meeting with your Personal Tutor or a Pastoral Support Session with the Student Services Team.
Punctuality & Lateness
- Arriving more than 15 minutes late can disrupt the learning environment.
- Tutors have the final authority to refuse entry to late arrivals to prevent class disruption.
- If you are refused entry due to lateness, you will be recorded as absent for that session.
Essential Rules for Student Route Visa Holders
- Key Contact Points: A single 2.5-hour scheduled session counts as one "key contact point".
- 10 Key Contact Points Rule: Missing 10 consecutive key contact points without authorization requires CFS by to report the non-attendance to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). This can result in visa cancellation and the obligation to leave the UK.
