ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL

The role of the parent in ensuring high levels of attendance is critical. At DBS we hope to maintain close, effective and positive links with parents and ensure that effective communication links, avoid any unexplained absences for your children. 

If for any reason your child is sick and unable to come to School, it is important that you contact the school to let them know. Please notify the school of your child’s absence by 7.30am on their first day of absence via an email to attendanceofficer@dbsbangkok.ac.th and your child’s class or form teacher. The School Nurse will call to follow up on your child’s sickness and discuss when they will be returning to school. A doctor’s medical certificate may be required to confirm your child is ready to return to School.

An unauthorised absence is when children are absent but are not ill, not receiving treatment, on an unauthorised holiday or any other reason without gaining prior approval from the Head of School.  Unauthorised absence also includes having days off for birthdays and taking whole days off for medical/dental appointments unless this is necessary. Unauthorised absences can be avoided by communicating with the school and being careful about keeping your child away from school unnecessarily. 

Requests for non-educational absence during term time (including holidays) will not usually be approved and will be recorded as ‘unauthorised’. This is because our primary responsibility must be as advocates for children’s education, and therefore not to support absence from the classroom which will delay or impair individual and group progress.  We have a clearly published annual calendar to enable parents to plan around agreed holidays.

Where possible, all appointments e.g. dentist and doctors, should be made outside of school hours. In the event that time does need to be taken during school hours, an email should be sent to the class teacher or relevant school office email notifying them of the details. Children who have to leave during School time will be collected from their classroom by a member of the reception team and taken to the main reception where parents can collect their child. For Year 7 - 13 students early departure slips can be collected from Floor 1, D5 from the relevant school’s PA and students can be picked up from Door 1 outside D5.

Approval for any planned absence for your child should be applied for in writing to the Head of School at least 14 days before the planned absence. Any authorised absence is at the discretion of the Headmaster. Absence during term time is strongly discouraged. Holidays in term time will not routinely be authorised.