Letter to Parents and Carers: Student collection and appointments
Fri 28 Aug 2026
Dear Parents and Carers,
First and foremost, thank you for your continued support and partnership. We truly appreciate everything you do to work alongside us, ensuring our students arrive ready to learn, achieve, and thrive every single day.
As we progress into a new academic year, I want to share some important reflections regarding attendance and daytime collections. Our shared goal is to give your child the absolute best chance at success. Evidence shows a direct link between classroom time and academic achievement; even a few lost learning hours can have a measurable impact on final GCSE grades. Every lesson counts and we want to ensure that no student misses out on vital building blocks for their future.
With that in mind, we kindly ask for your cooperation with the following guidelines regarding daytime appointments and collections:
- Collecting during the academy day: We understand that medical or specialist appointments during the school day are sometimes unavoidable. However, if an appointment falls in the middle of the day, please aim to bring your child into the academy before the appointment, or return them immediately after it finishes. Maximizing even a partial day of learning makes a huge difference.
- Avoid 12:20 - 2pm collection: Whenever possible, please schedule appointments outside of these hours. This period is crucial for student supervision over lunch and we require all available staff to ensure a safe environment for our 1,400 students.
- End-of-Day Collections (The Final 15 Minutes): Please note that we are unable to accommodate student collections during the final 15 minutes of the academy day, 2:40 - 2:55pm, unless this is a safeguarding emergency. Our staff are fully student-facing all day. During these final minutes, teachers are supporting students through the crucial wrap-up of their daily learning and preparing everyone for a safe, structured dismissal. Having staff pull away to facilitate early pick-ups compromises this vital end-of-day routine and duty of care.
Thank you once again for working together with us to protect your child’s learning time. If you have any questions or require support regarding attendance, please do not hesitate to contact our attendance team.
Yours faithfully,
Laura Holmes
Vice Principal