It has been a busy two weeks of expectation setting across the school with our new students. As a reminder we are a phone free school. In Year 10 and 11 students hand their phones in at the start of every day. In Year 12 and 13 students hand their phone in at the start of every lesson. There are a minority of students still adjusting to this, but our vigilant staff have one goal in mind; distraction free learning.

I have been impressed with the level of attendance we have seen already this year. This will always be a keen focus for us. We are shifting our approach to monitoring attendance by sessions absent rather than a percentage. We cannot overstate how vital consistent school attendance is; every lesson missed makes a significant difference to a student’s learning and progress. For Sixth Form students, missing a single day of learning can put them significantly behind their peers, making it very challenging to catch up. We make no apology for challenging poor attendance, as we know that attendance is closely linked to academic success. Please remember that we are here to support our families and students to achieve the highest levels of attendance.

Alongside this we closely monitor punctuality and will report back to you any continual concerns. It is important that professional habits are formed quickly.

We have to sweat the small stuff as this is what success is built upon. Thank you for your support as parents in helping your child understand the importance of these expectations.