As a school we continually monitor attendance and punctuality.  We work with the Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) to support children and families around attendance.  The table below shows the impact low attendance can have for a child and their future.  Lateness can also have an impact on a child’s learning.  They can miss key information, retrievals and the start of lessons.  It also can affect their well being as miss out on the start of the day, emotional check ins with their teacher and peers and key information for the day.

We will be regularly contacting families with low attendance or multiple late marks by telephone and/or letter and arranging meetings to help support families.  If the issue continues or needs additional support the EWO can become involved.  If anyone is concerned about attendance or feels they need support there is an opportunity to work with our Family Engagement Officer on strategies that could help.  For further information please contact the school.

Local Authority Attendance Information

As a school, we strive to improve and encourage the attendance of all our pupils to ensure they achieve their full potential.  You will be aware attendance protocols were relaxed during the COVID-19 pandemic but Welsh Government has recently announced that Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) for non-attendance at schools will be reintroduced. We understand that the last few years have been particularly challenging and hope to work closely with all families to ensure you and your child are fully supported in attending school, and that FPNs can be avoided.

However, FPNs may be considered from September 2022 in the following circumstances:

• where there is a minimum of 10 unauthorised sessions (5 school days) in the current term (these do not need to be consecutive);
• pupils are persistently arriving after the close of the registration period (that is, more than 10 sessions in the current term);
• where parent/carers have failed to engage with the school and/or the education welfare service in attempts to improve attendance but where court sanctions have not been instigated;
• a period of absence from school due to a holiday that was not authorised by school; and/or
• a pupil has regularly come to the attention of the police during school hours and is absent from school without an acceptable reason.

Attendance at school is compulsory and is a legal requirement. We appreciate that pupils may be unwell on occasions, but it is important in these instances that you inform the school in a timely manner with the reasons for absence.  Should you wish to discuss your child’s school attendance in more detail or require additional support to improve your child’s attendance, please do get in touch.