One of the things we regularly remind the girls of in the Senior School is the importance of “turning up”. Whether it be to school, to their cocurricular commitments or to a social gathering they have committed to. We are increasingly living in a culture where it is easy to opt out or cancel, find a better option or do the online version of a range of activities.

School teaches the girls the importance of being committed to others and learning in community with one another. Turning up requires them to participate in a community – even on the days that feels challenging.

As winter sets in and the days get shorter and colder, please encourage your daughter to keep turning up.

Attendance at school is the most significant predictor of student achievement. We find when girls do not come to school or opt out of cocurricular involvement in school, not only does their learning suffer, but they find it increasingly difficult to develop strong relationships with others.

As Mrs Brown often says, your daughter will accidentally learn something just by being at school. There is no replacement for the learning that happens in the classroom each day. Moreover, if your daughter is a part of a team or an ensemble, turning up teaches her the importance of being a part of a community and contributing to something outside themselves. This participation brings a sense of achievement and belonging, which will help your daughter to find meaning in her schooling experience.

If you are having trouble getting your daughter to school, it is important that you contact her Year Coordinator or Mrs Kemp (Dean of Pastoral Care) as soon as possible. Non-attendance at school is often the first sign that a girl might be struggling. So please be aware of your daughter’s patterns of attendance and encourage her to come to school every day, unless she is unwell.