Attendance at Forest

At Forest Academy, excellent attendance is everyone’s responsibility. We know that regular, punctual attendance lays the foundation for strong academic outcomes, confident learners, and positive wellbeing. Every day in school matters. Each lesson builds on the last, and children who attend consistently are more likely to thrive—socially, emotionally, and academically.

We work closely with families, Croydon Local Authority, and education partners to promote outstanding attendance across our school community. Our aim is to provide tailored support to families and remove barriers to attendance, so that every child has the best possible opportunity to succeed.

Why Attendance Matters

Children who attend school regularly achieve better academic results.
Being in school helps children feel part of a safe, stable routine.
Friendships, confidence, and emotional wellbeing grow through daily interaction.
Missing school means missing key explanations, practical experiences, and rich discussions that can’t always be repeated.

Working Together

We understand that families can face challenges. Whether it’s illness, housing, routines, or emotional wellbeing — we are here to help. We take a relational, supportive approach to improving attendance. Our dedicated team works in partnership with families to understand the root cause of absence and put strategies in place to support regular attendance. No judgement, just joined-up solutions.

If you have any concerns or circumstances that may affect your child’s ability to attend, please speak to us early. We’re here to listen.

Celebrating Attendance

At Forest Academy, we believe that celebrating attendance fosters motivation, responsibility and pride. Here’s how we reward and recognise great attendance:

Weekly Attendance Cup: Awarded to the class with the highest attendance and punctuality that week.

100% Class Weekly Prize: Classes achieving 100% attendance are awarded an extra prize during the celebration assembly.

Termly 100% Attendance Certificates: Children with perfect attendance for the term are honoured in our end-of-term Attendance Celebration Assembly.

Special Competitions and Challenges
To keep things exciting, we run a variety of attendance-themed competitions throughout the year, such as:

Themed Half-Term Challenges – e.g., Spring into School and Race to the Rainbow with prizes for classes meeting 96%+ attendance over a set period.
Easter Egg Attendance Hunt – classes earn eggs for full attendance days and enter a draw for a class reward.
Raffle Rewards – pupils with improved attendance are entered into raffles to win books, vouchers, and experiences.
Attendance Advent in December – festive-themed daily incentives for being on time and present.

These events help build a positive culture around attendance while making school fun and rewarding for everyone.

Let’s Keep Attendance High!

Forest Academy pupils, families, and staff work together to ensure every child gets the very best from their education. We are proud of our collective commitment to attendance, and we celebrate that commitment every step of the way.

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s attendance, don’t hesitate to talk to us.