Attendance and Medical Information
School lays the vital foundations of a child’s life. Irregular attendance can severely impede a child’s academic and social development. Likewise, when a child arrives late at school it interrupts the concentration of others and wastes valuable time as the teacher has to repeat information and instructions whilst others have to wait. The late child is at an immediate disadvantage because they may have missed important teaching points and will be generally unsettled.
DfE Summary table of responsibility for school attendance
By law, schools must record absences and the reasons given for these absences, which are coded in class registers. There is no automatic entitlement in law to time off in school terms to go on holiday. To complete a leave of absence form please click the link below and this must be completed in advance to seek permission. Each case will be considered based on the circumstances. In line with government guidance, Wheatfield Primary School heavily discourage breaks in term time and these can only be authorised in exceptional circumstances.
Exceptional circumstances include:
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Service personnel and other employees who are prevented from taking holidays outside of term time
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When a family needs to spend time together to support each other during or after a crisis.
Each request for absence will be considered individually taking into account attendance records and the potential impact on a child’s progress.
It should be noted that under The Education (Pupil Registration)(England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 that the Educational Welfare Service, acting on behalf of Wokingham Borough Council, may issue a Penalty Notice for a child’s unauthorised absence from school. The amount payable is £60 rising to £120 if not paid promptly and both parents are liable to receive a notice for each child who is absent.
Dental and Medical Appointments
Parents and carers are asked most earnestly not to arrange these during school sessions, except in cases of urgency, so that considerable interference with school work is avoided. Please do not keep children out of school for the whole day unless absolutely necessary.
Sickness
If your child is unwell and cannot attend school, parents are requested to notify the school on the first day of absence by:
- ParentMail App - Absence tab
- Telephone by 8.30am (01189 029 123). Telephone messages will be recorded by the answerphone and subsequently checked against the class register.
- An email communication of absence is also sufficient if provided by 8:30am.
If no message is received by 9:00 the school office will endeavour to contact you on the telephone contact numbers given by you. Attempted contact will continue up until 10:30.
Please continue to contact the school daily to update the office on your child's absence.
For safety reasons parents will be expected to collect their child from the school reception if taking their child out during the day.
Medical Conditions
Windmill Primary School will seek to support, as far as is practical, any child that has a medical condition to ensure his or her health and safety, welfare and inclusion in school life. Whenever possible parents should administer medicines to their child at home or by visiting the school during the day. Where the school accepts responsibility to administer medicine parents will be required to complete a form giving consent and clear instructions.
View our Supporting Children with Medical Conditions Policy on the GLF Schools website
