We can all be proud of our Year 11 and 6th formers who have achieved outstanding exam results this year. One of the easiest ways of ensuring your daughter gets the results she deserves when she takes her exams is to make sure she has good attendance. You can check your daughter’s attendance to school and lessons on our secure area.

Our school attendance target is 96%.

This means NO MORE than 8 days off in a school year.



How does attendance affect results?

85% of students who have 96% attendance (no more than 8 days off a year) get 5 A* - C grades. This figure falls dramatically to 25% when attendance drops and girls have more than 19 days off a year.



How does attendance affect my daughter getting into University or getting a job?

As a school, we are regularly asked for references for students by Universities, Colleges and employers. They will always ask for two pieces of information – the result that students obtained and their attendance and punctuality. So, poor attendance can also affect your daughter’s chances of getting into further and higher education or into the job market.



How can I improve my daughter’s attendance?

Unless your daughter is really sick, please send her to school. We have a full time nurse in school who can see your daughter if you are worried about her health and send her home if she thinks this is best.



Registers are taken at 8.45 am and 1.30 pm so ensure your daughter is in school during these times. Make sure dentists’ appointments and other medical appointments are made after school, or at least that your daughter attends before and after them.



Book holidays and visits in school holidays. We follow Birmingham’s guidelines on in-term absence and will not authorise any trips or extended visits during term time.



Religious observance – Birmingham have allowed Muslim students to take one day off to celebrate Eid – please do not keep students off school for longer than this. Other religious observances will be coded in line with Birmingham’s guidance.



How do we work together to monitor attendance?

• If your daughter has 3 days off in the first term you will receive a letter to let you know. Absence quickly adds up, and 3 days per term will put her overall attendance at 95% (below the school target).


• If your daughter has had 6 days off by the end of term one you will receive another letter, asking for any further absences to be accompanied by some medical ‘evidence’ ( this can be a doctor’s or dentists’ appointment card, a copy of any medication you’ve been given by the doctor etc).


• Once your daughter has had 8 days off you will be offered a meeting with her Deputy Head of year to talk about how we can best support her so she doesn’t fall behind because of work she has missed.


• If she continues to have further time off, we will arrange a meeting for you to come in and talk to myself or Mrs Boothroyd, our designated Development Officer for Attendance to talk about how we can improve attendance.

If you have any concerns about attendance or wish to talk through any of the issues in this letter, you should arrange an appointment to meet your daughter’s form tutor or head of year.



Remember – outstanding attendance means having fewer than 8 days off a year.



Thank you for your support.



Yours sincerely



Rebecca Tigue

Deputy Headteacher