Referring to the cases where parents highlighted school policies forbidding access to toilets during lessons, preventing them from changing sanitary products, Tina Leslie, of period poverty charity Freedom 4 Girls, said it was unfair to penalise girls for something they could not prevent.
"If you do leak, you’ve got the stigma and the name-calling. That’s why these kids aren’t going into school," she said.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said there had to be policies in place to encourage regular attendance.
"However, what these cases demonstrate is that this issue is not always simple and that children and families face a range of challenges that can make regular attendance more difficult," he explained.
Stuart Dyer, of Norfolk County Council's education department, told the court: "It is always essential a parent ensures their child's attendance to receive their full-time educational entitlement and maximise their chances and reach their full potential."
He said in all cases, schools had contacted parents with letters and text messages and had arranged meetings; some of which were not attended by parents.