Excellent school attendance is the most important contributor to school success.

Pupils with the highest levels of attendance at James Bateman Middle School progress faster and achieve higher levels. Having said this, we recognise that sometimes illness or other serious reasons make it impossible for pupils to come to school. If your child is going to be absent from school for any reason, please inform the school that morning via our answer phone service on 01782 973900. If we do not hear from you, a member of staff will contact you during the morning to try to establish the cause of that absence. In the event of your child becoming ill while at school, parents will be notified by phone. Please ensure your telephone numbers are up-to-date via the Arbor App.

We ask that you do not take your child out of school for family holidays during term time. Updated criteria, means that we can no longer authorise leave of absence except in exceptional circumstances. If you remove your child from school and it is unauthorised, you may be liable for a fixed penalty notice and a visit from the Educational Welfare Officer.

Our Attendance Policy is available in the policies section of this website.

Everything you need to know about school attendance - The Education Hub

NHS - Is my child too ill for school?