Watford Grammar School for Girls expects full attendance from every pupil. Unless she is ill, your daughter should be at school.
Exceptions to this general rule will be rare, but parents are encouraged to discuss any serious problems that are affecting or will affect a pupil’s attendance with a suitable member of staff. This might be your daughter’s Form Tutor or Head of Year, or one of the Senior Leadership Team.
If a pupil has diarrhoea (loose stools over a 24 hour period) or vomiting, then we advise that she should remain away from school until 48 hours after the last episode of vomiting or loose stools (unless there is a known non-infectious cause such as a pre-existing medical condition).
All requests for absence should be made in writing, addressed to the Headmistress and emailed to absence@watfordgirls.herts.sch.uk.
The school does not and will not approve the removal of a pupil from school so that the family can take a holiday during term time.
Is my child too ill for school – NHS guidance
Reporting Absence
We have two dedicated email addresses so you can inform us when your daughter is unable to access online learning. Please email us as soon as possible on each day, citing the reason.
For pupils in Years 7-11: absence@watfordgirls.herts.sch.uk
For Sixth Formers: sixthformabsence@watfordgirls.herts.sch.uk
If your daughter is in school but not going to be in registration (am or pm) e.g. because of a sporting event/club, music lesson, meeting with a teacher etc, she must inform her Form Tutor or the School Office.
Holidays
It is against school policy to take holidays during term time. If a student needs to miss school for any occasion other than illness or an emergency, permission must be sought by writing to the Headmistress in advance and sending this request to the relevant absence email (see above). The school has the authority not to authorise a request for a student to miss school for any reason.
Punctuality
Watford Grammar School for Girls sets high standards of attendance. Students must leave home early so as to arrive on time, thus avoiding any unexpected problems with buses and trains.
It is a good idea to be in school by 8.15am, the girls should be in their form rooms for registration. Morning registration takes place at 8.30am.
If girls arrive at school late (i.e. after 8.30am), they MUST report to the School Office to sign in before they go into class. Your daughter must bring in a letter to the school office the following day explaining her lateness. Failure to do so will result in an “unexplained/unauthorised” absent mark on her register. Repeated late arrival will result in a late detention.
It is your child’s responsibility to check the PE notice board concerning sports fixtures and to inform you of the date, venue and time for collection. You can also access sporting fixtures on the school sports fixture website.
Please only telephone to leave a message for your child in a real emergency. It is not possible for office staff to deliver non-urgent messages to students.
Please ask your daughter to come into the Office if she has forgotten anything that you subsequently bring into school. The Office cannot deliver items to individual children, but will look after them until they are collected.
Appointments
Please avoid making dentist, optician, doctor or hospital appointments during school hours if possible. Appointment cards/letters must be provided beforehand if the appointment is during school hours and parents must sign in/out at the school office. Please also make sure that your daughter is aware of the appointment (make a note/reminder in her planner if necessary). It is not possible for office staff to look for your daughter to remind her of her appointment.
Girls in Years 7, 8 and 9 MUST be collected by an adult. Please note that we do not permit any junior girl to leave the school premises alone and appointments will be missed if no one arrives at school to accompany her.