‘Good school attendance gives your child the opportunity of success and helps develop academic and social skills for life’

‘Absences—authorised as well as unauthorised—can add up to academic trouble’

There is much research to prove the link between attendance and achievement and therefore it is very important that your child attends school every day unless there are exceptional circumstances.  

And Punctuality Matters Too!

The school playground is open from 8.30am, classrooms open from 8.30am, school starts at 8.50am to 3.15pm

• Registration is at 8.50am. Children should be in their classroom no later than 8.50am. The playground opens at 8.30am, classrooms open at 8.30am. Ensure your child is at school no later than 8.50am for prompt start.
• If your child is unable to come to school due to illness the school must be notified by 9am on the first day and every day thereafter. You can call 01932 259604 (press 1 for absence line) to leave a message or email absence.waltonoak@lumenlearningtrust.co.uk A specific reason must be provided, rather than leaving just a ‘not well’ message. Without specific information the absence will remain unauthorised.
• If a pupil’s illness lasts for more than 2 days the school requires medical evidence to support the absence.
• Please try to make medical or dentist appointments outside of school hours
• Proof must be shown for any absences due to medical or dentist appointments. No absence will be authorised without it.
• Penalty Notices will be sought for all unauthorised holidays and patterns of poor attendance over a period of time

Illness

It can be tricky deciding whether or not to keep your child off school when they're unwell. There will be times when it is obvious that your child is simply too unwell to come to school, such as being physically weak, in pain or clearly in a condition that could spread unwelcome germs around the class.

Please refer to the government guidelines for schools that say when children should be kept off school and when they shouldn't.

For example:

• If your child has a raised temperature (over 37.5C) keep them off school until the fever goes away.
• If your child has a slight cold or sore throat, without any other symptoms, they should be in school.
• If your child has a mild headache, without any other symptoms, they should be in school.
• If your child has hand, foot and mouth disease, but seems well enough to go to school, there's no need to keep them off.
• There's no need to keep your child off school if they have head lice.
• Once they have started treatment for impetigo or ringworm it’s fine for them to come back to school. 
• You don't need to keep your child off school if they have threadworms and have taken treatment.
• Children with diarrhoea and vomiting should stay away from school for 2 days after their symptoms have gone.

Please be assured that your child’s health and well-being is of the upmost importance to us.  If we feel a child should not be in school because they’re too unwell we will contact you with a view to sending them home.

For further information about attendance please see the attendance policy on our  policy page.