Walking

We actively encourage walking to school. At the front of the school pedestrians should enter the school grounds by the small gate – and not the car park entrance – and through the large wooden gate on the right unless visiting the school office.

Children based in the hut should enter at the back of the school via the gate in the alleyway.

Scooters

We actively encourage children to walk or ‘scoot’ to school under the supervision of parents/carers. Any scooter brought onto the school site is entirely at the owner’s risk. Children must dismount on entering the school grounds at the gate, walk with their scooter and leave this in the scooter park at the front or back of the school.

Parking

Our school is on a busy road within a residential area. As such we ask you to take extra care when parking to make sure it is safe for you and also not inconveniencing our neighbours by parking across their drives. Please park only on the ‘school-side’ of the road with children disembarking on the pavement side. Parking is not permitted on the yellow zig-zag lines at the front of the building and the staff car park is out of bounds to parents and children.

Disabled Access

Disabled access is available by entering the school through the Reception pupil entrance.

Attendance and absence

Punctuality

For children to achieve, it is important that they attend school regularly and be on time. If children are late, not only is this recorded in the register, but they have missed essential teacher input at the start of the day.

Children enter school from 8.20am with registration at 8.30am.

If a child arrives after registration, it is the responsibility of the adult to report to the school office, giving the reason for lateness.

If a parent/carer is late collecting at the end of the school day, we ask them to come to the school office to collect their child, giving the reason for the lateness.

Reporting absence from school

Absence from school must be reported before 9am on the first day by the parent/carer by telephone 01276 472212, email school@wvi.tamat.org.uk, or using the absence reporting function on Parentmail.

It would be helpful if you could send a letter of explanation when he/she returns to school.

Please also remember that if your child has vomited or had diarrhoea they should not return to school until they have been clear for 48 hours.

Please refer to the school website for guidance on the symptoms etc and exclusion periods for most illnesses, or refer to:

An attendance rate of less than 90% is considered as Persistent Absence and may be liable for a Penalty Notice.

Appointments during school hours

Wherever possible, appointments with the doctor, dentist etc. should be made outside of school hours. However, if unavoidable, please notify your child’s class teacher in writing prior to the date of the appointment and provide a copy of the appointment letter/card.

Children should be signed in or out in the appointments book in the school office. If appropriate, please let us know if your child will require a school meal on that day.

Holidays in term time

We actively discourage holidays during term time as children can miss crucial aspects of learning. Two weeks a year of school missed can culminate in half a term missed in a child’s school life at Windlesham. Our policy, therefore, is that absences will only be approved for exceptional circumstances.

Parents who require leave during term time are requested to speak to the Headteacher and complete a Leave of Absence Request Form which can be found here.  The Headteacher will consider the reasons for the request carefully and will notify you of the decision. In the absence of a decision, parents/carers cannot assume that permission for the absence has been given.

Absences for holidays will not be authorised. Unauthorised absence of 5 days or more may result in the following action being taken:

1. If you have not incurred a penalty notice relating to this child/children since 19 August 2024, then the penalty notice will be charged at the rate of £160.00, per parent/carer per child, if paid within 28 days. This will be reduced to £80.00 if paid within 21 days of receipt of the notice. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in Surrey County Council considering legal proceedings against you in the Magistrates Court.
2. If you have incurred a penalty notice relating to this child/children since 19 August 2024, the rolling 3-year period will be activated from the date of the first penalty notice and the second penalty notice will be charged at the flat rate of £160.00, per parent/carer per child, if paid within 28 days. There will be no reduction for payment within 21 days. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in Surrey County Council considering legal proceedings against you in the Magistrates Court.
3. If you have incurred 2 penalty notices relating to this child/children in the rolling 3-year period since the first penalty notice was issued, then you will NOT receive a third penalty notice – Surrey County Council will have no option but to consider a prosecution, per parent/carer per child, in the Magistrates Court under s444 Education Act 1996.

For further information, please refer to our School Attendance Policy.