We have a right to learn & be the best we can be

The Local Authority and Partneriaeth, our regional education consortium, are supportive of the national drive to raise school attendance, recognising the crucial link between attendance and attainment.  The school follows the Bishopston cluster schools attendance policy. Individual requests for holidays during term times will only be authorised by the Headteacher, in exceptional circumstances. Otherwise absences due to pupils being taken on holidays during term time will be recorded as unauthorised. Your child’s progress in school will be affected if you do not make sure that he or she attends school regularly.

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ABSENCE

If your child is unable to attend school or nursery for any reason please telephone or e-mail the school office to let us know. If your child has sickness or diarrhoea we ask that he/she does not return to school for 48 hours as this type of illness can be very infectious.

While we are encouraging good attendance, we also ask you to ensure your child is well enough to be in school. Post pandemic illnesses seem to be spreading widely, please follow the advice of public health advice to parents published 6^th January 2023 to ‘keep children away from school and childcare settings if they are unwell and have a fever’.  Illness will impact on attendance, but spreading illness impacts on the attendance of many more. 

We hope that you can support our attendance record and arrange your holidays around the existing 175 days the schools are closed through weekends and school holidays and help us to support your child to “be the best they can be!”

Thank you to all the parents who understand the impact that attendance has on their child’s performance. 

PUNCTUALITY

The school day begins at 8.50am, and we ask that children arrive promptly to ensure a positive start to their learning. Please ensure your child is not late for school. Children who arrive late are asked to report to the school office on arrival. Any late attendance is recorded on the end of year school Annual Report to parents.

 

The Welsh Government (WG) Education (Penalty Notice)(Wales) Regulations 2013 states that Local Authorities (LA’s) are required by law to adhere to the Education Act 1996 section 444 to include penalty notices as one of the interventions to promote better school attendance.

Sections 444A and 444B of the Education Act 1996 provide that certain cases of unauthorised absences can be dealt with by way of a penalty notice. A penalty notice is a fine of up to £120 and may be issued to a parent / carer as a result of a child’s regular non-attendance at school / educational provision.

The school adheres to the code of conduct for penalty notices as issued by WG and agreed by your Local Authority, and therefore may request the local authority to issue a penalty notice in certain cases.