Boldon School students receive certificate from the Mayor for outstanding attendance

Two 16-year-old students were invited to meet the Mayor of South Tyneside John McCabe at the Town Hall yesterday (Tuesday, July 10), to receive recognition for their outstanding attendance throughout their school years.

A special ceremony was held in the reception room of the Town Hall in South Shields for Lee Smith and Reece Smith, who have maintained an attendance record of 100% all through primary and secondary school.

The students who are looking forward to their future careers after leaving Boldon School, attended the ceremony with their families, teachers and staff from the school, where they were presented officially with a certificate as well as a box of chocolates from the Mayor himself.

The Boldon School pupils attended school every day for the past twelve years, and their certificates were dated from September 2010 to June 2023, to reflect their attendance throughout those years.

Lee told us: “It’s been tiring but definitely worth it.”

He continued: “I think that having a good attendance record at school gives a really good impression to future employers.”

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Reece explained that never missing a single day of school was crucial to “help gain knowledge”, and to “prepare for the future.”

The families of the two teenagers were beaming with pride, and Reece’s grandfather told us of how despite breaking a leg and suffering an injury to his hand during a football match, the teenager was still determined to attend school every day.

Attendance officers from Boldon School, Sophie Copeland and Bev Winn said: “It is a massive achievement and absolutely amazing. They set a perfect example for younger students to follow in their footsteps.”

Bev, who will retire next week after 15 years with the school explained that the ceremony for Lee and Reece is a great way to end her career with Boldon School.