Good attendance is essential for your child’s academic success, personal growth, and social development. Every day in school matters, and even small absences can impact learning and progress. To help your child maintain strong attendance, establish a consistent morning routine to promote punctuality and make sure they arrive on time each day. Keep an open line of communication with your child to identify any barriers to attending school—such as anxiety, health concerns, or social issues—and reach out to school staff early for support if needed. Whenever possible, schedule medical and other appointments outside of school hours to minimize disruption. We also encourage your child to take part in extra-curricular activities, as these help build confidence, strengthen friendships, and increase engagement with school life. A strong school routine, both in and out of the classroom, sets the foundation for long-term success. Our attendance team are always here to help! 

Online support 

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school

https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-a-z-mental-health-guide/school-anxiety-and-refusal

https://www.kooth.com/

If your child’s attendance drops to 90% or below this is classed as ‘persistent absenteeism’ (PA). We will always inform you in advance if your child’s attendance drops below 95% to try and avoid this. If your child is classed as PA the attendance team will request a meeting to create a plan to ensure their attendance improves and we are maximising their chances of educational success. 

Please see Policies  for our Attendance & Punctuality Policy 

Schools are only permitted to grant Leave of Absence to pupils in exceptional circumstances. These would include, for example, bereavement, attendance at funerals and representing sports teams at regional / national level. School cannot authorise holidays in term time.   

A pupil’s attendance will directly affect their achievement and wellbeing in school. Evidence shows that a pupil’s progress is significantly negatively affected if their attendance falls below 90% and their GCSE attainment is likely to drop by an entire grade. We therefore ask all pupils to aim for 96-97% minimum attendance.  

Please endeavour to book all medical and dental appointments out of school hours, and where this is not possible, please ensure that pupils attend for the remainder of the day.   

If you do need to report a pupil absence, please use the contact form which will be sent to the school’s attendance team. It may be the case that evidence (for example, medical evidence) will need to be attached in order for any absence to be authorised.    

To report an absence please contact us: 

•01207 523408 attendanceoffice@stb.bwcet.com 

Additional Information 

• We ask that all absences are reported by 08:00am on the day 

• When leaving a message we ask that you clearly state your child’s name, the reason for absence and provide the school with an expected date of return. 

• All absences will be treated as unauthorised unless a satisfactory explanation for the student’s absence has been received. 

• Leave of absence/holidays must be discussed with Attendance Officer prior to any absence taking place 

With regards to medical/dental appointments should be made, where possible, outside of the school day. Where this is not possible, students should attend school for part of the day. Parents must show the appointment card/letter to school.