Every class. Every chance.

At The Weald, we believe every day in school matters. Good attendance helps students make the most of their learning, build friendships and feel part of our school community.

We understand that sometimes absence is unavoidable. Whether your child is unwell, experiencing difficulties with their mental health or has an appointment, it is important that you let us know.

Feeling under the weather? Give school a go

Not feeling 100%? If your child feels well enough to try coming into school, we would always encourage them to give school a go.

To help us support them, we have introduced our new Under the Weather Form. Please click here to complete the form

If your child is coming into school but feeling a little unwell, please complete the form before they arrive. This lets our Medical Team know that they may need a little extra support during the day.

If they begin to feel worse, our Medical Team can then provide appropriate support through our Student Reception and assess whether any further action is needed.

A little preparation can make a big difference. Completing the form helps us keep an eye on your child and support them throughout the school day.

Please remember, the form is intended for students who feel well enough to attend school. If your child is too unwell to come in, please follow our usual absence reporting arrangements instead.

Give school a go – we'll do our best to support you.

Reporting an unplanned absence

If your child is unable to attend school due to illness or another unavoidable reason:

• Contact us by 8:30am on the first day of absence.

• Call the school absence line 01403 787200 (Y7-11 Option 1, Y12-13 Option 2) or email absence@theweald.org.uk.

• Please give a brief reason for the absence and let us know when you expect your child to return.

• If your child remains absent, you must contact us each subsequent day to keep us updated.

This includes both physical and mental health-related illness.

Mental health matters too.

We recognise that anxiety, emotional wellbeing and other mental health difficulties can sometimes make attending school challenging. Please talk to us if your child is struggling. We will listen, take your concerns seriously and work with you to explore appropriate support to help your child attend and take part in school life.

Our aim is always to work together to remove barriers to attendance.

Reporting a planned absence

If your child has a medical or dental appointment:

• Please email absence@theweald.org.uk in advance.

• Attach appointment evidence, such as an appointment card or letter.

• Wherever possible, arrange appointments outside school hours. If this isn't possible, we ask that appointments are scheduled after 1:30pm to minimise missed learning.

For any other planned absence during term time, a request must be submitted in advance to the Headteacher. Please request a leave of absence form from Student Reception or your child's Head of House. Where possible, requests should be submitted at least four weeks beforehand.

Please remember that term-time absence is only authorised in exceptional circumstances. Family holidays will not normally be authorised.

Worried about attendance?

If your child is finding it difficult to attend regularly, please don't wait for us to contact you. Get in touch so that we can understand what is happening and discuss how we can help.

We can work with students and families to explore appropriate support, which may include pastoral support, emotional wellbeing support, reasonable adjustments or an individual attendance plan.

Who can I contact?

• To report an absence: Call the school absence line or email absence@theweald.org.uk.

• For attendance advice and support: Contact our Family Liaison Officer, Mrs Amy Bicknell, at flo@theweald.org.uk.

• For any other attendance enquiries, please contact your Head of House

Working together

Good attendance is a partnership between home and school. We ask all parents/carers to support their child in attending regularly and arriving on time.

We are here to listen, support and work alongside our families, but we also have high expectations because every day of learning counts.

Thank you for helping us give every student every chance to succeed.