The school day starts at 8:50am and ends at 3:20pm.  

Gates will open at 8:40am for a prompt start at 8:50am. This means that the children are in school for 32.5 hours a week, including assemblies, registration, breaks and other school activities.

From 19th August 2024, new statutory guidance from the Department for Education and changes to penalty notices came into effect.  Full details are contained in the letters at the bottom of the page.  For children to achieve their potential academically and to be successful socially, they need to attend school regularly.  We work closely with our Attendance Improvement Officer to monitor high absence rates and to take the appropriate action, contacting parents and working with them to improve the situation.

As parents/carers, you have a legal obligation to ensure that your child attends school regularly and on time. Children who arrive at school on time and attend for the maximum number of days, are able to take full advantage of all the learning opportunities the school has to offer. Children who are persistently late or frequently miss days of school, end up with gaps in their learning and struggle to tune in to what happened while they were away. That is not a comfortable position for any young learner to be in. The school procedures regarding lateness and absence are as follows:

• parents who arrive with their child after the gates are shut at 8.55am must sign their child in and explain why their child is late
• if your child is unwell then please ring the school or email admin@windermere.herts.sch.uk on the first day of absence if possible
• if you do not ring the school then a member of the office staff or the headteacher will contact you to find out why your child is not at school. If you do not respond to this contact, the school will use other contact information or the police to ensure that you and your child are safe

Every absence has to be authorised by the headteacher.

The following absences can be authorised:

• illness – information from your doctor may be requested if a significant amount of sickness absence occurs
• medical appointments
• family bereavements (one day only)
• other exceptional reasons approved by the Head

The following reasons for absence will not be authorised:

• shopping trips
• taking a relative to the airport
• staying at home with a visiting relative
• looking after brothers or sisters
• unable to come to school because a parent is ill
• special occasions e.g. birthdays
• holidays

Should your child need to miss school for any reason, you must complete an absence authorisation form. Each application is considered by the headteacher taking into account the reason for the absence and the child’s attendance history. You will then be informed whether authorisation has been given.

Pupils with attendance less than 90% – no absences are authorised.