Wrotham Road Primary School
A happy and thriving multicultural school that has a love of learning and a belief that every individual matters.
School Times and Access
Academy Opening Times
Nursery am
8:45 to 11:45 am
Nursery pm
12:45 to 3:45 pm
Reception, Years 1 and 2
School Opens at 8:40 am
Registration 8:55 am
School Ends 3:20 pm
Years 3, 4, 5 and 6
School Opens at 8:40 am
Registration 8:55 am
School Ends 3:25 pm
Drop off – Start of the day
- Gates at the back and front of the school will be open for KS1 and KS2 from 8.40am
- Reception pupils will gather and line up on the front Infant playground.
- Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 will gather and line up in the middle playground
- Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 will gather in the top playground.
- Lessons start at 8.55am.
The total number of hours the school is open is 6 hours and 40 minutes per day (8:40am- 3:20pm) which totals 33.6 hours per week.
Absence Letter
The Headteacher will continue to make the decision about authorising an absence and that decision is final. Our approach can be summarised in the following sentence:
A request for time off in term time will only be authorised in the most exceptional and rare circumstances.
Of course there is an infinite list of circumstances for which parents may request time off, so I have listed a few of the more common examples below which should act as a benchmark. Hopefully they will give you a better idea of what we believe is an exceptional circumstance. It is also worth noting that the government expectation is that a child’s attendance is 96% (only 7-8 days absence a year), so I will not approve any absence if a child falls below this. Some parents appear to believe that 90% is a good attendance, but this is the equivalent of a day off every fortnight! (see below)
| Reason | Authorised (NO or POSSIBLY) |
| A week off to attend a family wedding in Spain. | NO |
| Two weeks holiday due to parents’ work commitments during the school summer holidays (or holidays from work are in school time). | NO |
| A few days away due to parents who work in the armed forces or police being directed as to when they can take their holiday. | POSSIBLY |
| Two days off to visit grandparents who are celebrating an anniversary. | NO |
| A family holiday which has to be arranged around a member of the family with a severe disability. | POSSIBLY |
| A short break away given as a gift by grandparents who did not know the term dates. | NO |
| A short break away related to a club or sports team who are touring abroad. | POSSIBLY |
| A week’s holiday in term time to avoid the higher costs of travelling during the school holidays. | NO |
If a pupil has a period of 5 days of absence which is deemed unauthorised, a Penalty Notice is normally issued by KCC. The fine is currently £60 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days, rising to £120 thereafter. Further details of our attendance policy can be viewed on our website.
I do hope this makes things much clearer for you and that we can work together to ensure your child’s attendance is as high as possible. After all, attendance has a massive impact on achievement.