The school is open from 8:45am - 3:15pm. This equates to 32.5 hours per week.

The school gate is open from 8.40am.  We expect pupils to be punctual, arrival after the gate is closed will be marked as Late (L-code). Arrival after 9.15am is regarded as an unauthorised absence and will be recorded as such. The government records that any attendance below 90% is classed as ‘persistent absence.’ Parents are reminded that unauthorised absence of 15% or 10 consecutive sessions, within a 6-week period, including holiday, may result in a Fixed Penalty Notice as guided by DfE policy.   

We all know that good school attendance has a positive impact on a pupils’ learning. We strive for all pupils to attend school every day.  We understand that children may be ill and require time off occasionally. Please see guidance below for advice on time off for common infectious diseases. 

If this happens, please ensure that you call by 9.15am every day of absence and leave a message that clearly states:

• Child’s name
• Class
• Reason for absence (if illness please specify the nature of the illness
• Anticipated date of return

You may, if you prefer, email this information using: office@watlington.norfolk.sch.uk or send a DoJo message to the school office.

If the school does not have a reason for a child’s absence, we will call home to confirm a reason. If we are unable to confirm the reason for absence, we will log the absence as unauthorised. Please note, if any pupil is absent without an explanation for 10 consecutive days, we are obliged to notify the Local Authority. Accumulation of 10 unauthorised absences (equal to five days) in any ten-week period, can result in a fixed penalty notice. 

Requests for leave of absence should be made through the school office.  The Headteacher may only authorise absence for exceptional circumstances, the list of 'exceptional circumstances' is limited. 

To help your child get the most from school, please avoid taking holiday during term time. Holidays will not be considered exceptional circumstances. More information on attendance and fixed penalty notices can be found below.

Attendance Codes

To help you understand your child's attendance, these are the most common codes we will use on the registers:

Long -Term Illness

We appreciate that there are times when a child is too unwell to attend school and would not expect them to attend in these circumstances. However, under the new guidance, we now have a statutory duty to report to the Local Authority those students who are off through illness (Code I) under the following circumstances:

• Student is unable to attend through illness and there are reasonable grounds to believe they will miss 15 or more consecutive school days.  OR
• The student has reached, or exceeded 15 school days absence through illness in the current academic year, either consecutive or cumulative.

Please let us know if you require any support or wish to discuss your child’s attendance.

For other advice regarding children's health, please see the following article from UK Health Security Agency. 

Article from UK Health Agency 

For health advice - Is my child too ill for school? 

From August 2024, the fine for a fixed penalty notice will increase. The fine for school absences across the country will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days.

Please see the attached files below.