Neale Wade Academy, in March, backtracks on attendance policy which called for medical proof of menstruation after parent uproar

A secondary school has released a statement backtracking on its attendance policy which refused to accept periods as a reason for absence.

Neale Wade Academy, in March, has told parents its approach will not require a doctor’s note when a child is off school.

This comes after the academy banned the use of phrases such as “ill”, “poorly” or “unwell” and called for specific details of the symptoms, or in the case of menstruation, “medical information”, to be given to avoid being slapped with an unauthorised absence mark.

The push to “ensure the best educational outcomes” for those who go there saw hundreds take to social media at the time in outrage over the ruling with some saying they would remove their children from Neale Wade.

The school has now said: “Close partnership working with our families is important to us and we work hard to understand any challenges or difficulties that families are facing, whether that is around attendance or any other issue.”

“We have written to families to clarify our approach, which does not require medical notes when a student is absent.”

“We very much have an open doors approach and encourage families to come and talk to us about any worries they have so we can explore these and find a positive way forward.”