Dear Parents, Carers and Students

Reminder – Important dates to note:

Wednesday 24th June – Open Evening for Prospective Year 7
Please note that there will be an early finish at 2.35pm, end of Period 5.

Thursday 25th June – Late start following Open Evening
School will start later at 10am due to the number of students involved in the late evening event the night before.  Abbey Travel have been informed (parents/carers will have been emailed by the company) and we have also informed the bus company for the 602 bus.

Attendance
There is wide agreement among health and educational professionals that school attendance is vital to the life chances of children and young people. Being in school improves their health, wellbeing, and socialisation throughout the life course. To gain the greatest benefits, it is essential that children and young people attend school regularly.

We understand that making the decision to keep your child at home is difficult. To ensure we accurately record attendance under DfE guidelines and provide appropriate safeguarding, we require a clear reason for illness when reporting an absence.

To authorise an absence, please provide a specific symptom (e.g., "high temperature," "vomiting," or "severe sore throat") that prevents your child from attending school. Unfortunately, simply stating your child is "unwell" is not sufficient for an absence to be formally authorised. It is also necessary to update us on each day of your child's absence.

As a general guideline, it is usually appropriate for parents and carers to send children to school with mild respiratory illnesses. This includes general cold symptoms like a minor cough, runny nose, or sore throat. However, children should not be sent to school if they have a temperature of 38°C or above. We strongly encourage you to utilise the NHS guidance 'Is My Child too Ill for School?'

Student Medication
Please be reminded that students should not carry their own medication during the school day. If your child needs medication during school hours or in the event they feel unwell, please ensure they hand it in to the medical office.

In order for the Medical team to dispense the medication, parents will also need to complete the consent form.

Metropolitan Police Domestic Abuse Information
As we enter the World Cup period, many people will be coming together to watch and celebrate matches. Alongside this, there is evidence that incidents of domestic abuse increase by as much as 38% when teams lose. It is important to emphasise that domestic abuse is never caused by sport or events themselves. Abuse is a choice made by perpetrators. However, factors such as heightened emotions, alcohol consumption and increased time spent at home can contribute to a rise in incidents during these periods.

At Bexley, we take this issue seriously and remain committed to raising awareness and ensuring that anyone experiencing domestic abuse knows how and where to access support. To support this, we have developed a 2026 awareness campaign to coincide with the tournament. Please see the attached posters.

As a White Ribbon UK accredited borough, we continue to work with partners to challenge harmful behaviours and promote safer communities. Domestic abuse is everyone’s business. It is estimated that one in four women and one in six men will experience domestic abuse at some point in their lifetime.

Support from specialist services like ‘Solace’ remains vital, and continues to provide refuge, advocacy and practical support for women and children, helping them to move forward safely:

Support: Bexley One Stop Shop - Every Wednesday, 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Venue: Central Library, Townley Road, Bexleyheath DA6 7HJ
Solace Advice Line: 020 3198 4659

Kind regards,

Miss S Totty
Headteacher