Attendance / Presenoldeb

At Maindee we want the best for all the children in our care and we would like to start the new year by reminding you of the importance of good attendance at school.Good AttendanceGood attendance is above 95% and we expect this to be the minimum level for all children at Maindee.

The importance of regular attendance

There are many good reasons for encouraging regular school attendance which have been well researched and documented.

The benefits include:

  • Keeping up with their schoolwork
  • Ensure they meet their expected progress
  • Develop better personal and social skills
  • Learn habits needed for adult life e.g., punctuality and time management.

Reporting Absences

Where a pupil is absent due to sickness and is genuinely unable to attend school the school office must be informed to enable them to authorise a child’s absence. Please do not use Seesaw to inform school of an absence.

Tel: 01633263309

Email: maindee.primary@newportschools.co.uk

It is important to let the school know if your child is going to be absent at the start of the day. The school may require additional evidence such as a letter from your GP.

If the school has not been told about the absence then the school will try to contact you so that a reason can be provided. If they are unable to get hold of you then the absence will be unauthorised.

Lateness

Research shows a close link between attendance at school and a child’s achievement. Being late adds up to a loss of learning. If a pupil arrives late for school the absence will be recorded as unauthorised for that session.

Holidays

The law states that parent/carer(s) must ensure that their child regularly attends the school. With this in mind, the school governors have agreed that ALL holiday absences will be unauthorised. This means that any child who is taken out of school during term time to go on holiday will receive an unauthorised absence in the register from their class teacher.Leave of Absence Request FormPlease think carefully about taking your child out of school during term time, however, if you require a holiday form or leave of absence form then they are available from the school office.

Actions due to poor attendance

Attendance is monitored daily. If we notice that your child is regularly absent then a meeting will be arranged to discuss attendance.

Education Welfare Officer

The Education Welfare Officer visits our school every fortnight to look at all our registers to monitor ALL pupil attendance. He is there in a supporting role but his job is to monitor and ensure pupils attendance is the best it can be at all times.

Lliswerry Cluster Information on Fixed Penalty Notices linked to unauthorised absence:

The Welsh Government has re-introduced the use of Fixed Penalty Notices for non-school attendance. Schools in Newport will resume their use of Fixed Penalty Notices to ensure children and young people are accessing their education.

Please note that protocols and procedures in relation to Fixed Penalty Notices will be enforced from 1st September 2023.

Issue of a Fixed Penalty Notice

  • A Fixed Penalty Notice can only be issued in cases of unauthorised absence;
  • In cases where there is more than one poorly-attending pupil in a family, Notices may be issued for more than one child;
  • There will be no restriction on the number of times a parent may receive a formal warning of a possible Fixed Penalty Notice.

Fixed Penalty Notices may be considered appropriate when:

  • At least 10 sessions (5 school days) are lost due to unauthorised absence during the current term. These do not need to be consecutive;
  • Unauthorised absences of at least 10 sessions (5 school days) due to holidays in term time or delayed return from extended holidays;
  • Persistent late arrival at school, i.e. after the register has closed, in the current term. “Persistent” means at least 10 late arrivals;
  • Truancy, where the child has come to the attention of the Police or public during school hours for being absent from school, without an acceptable reason.

Fixed Penalty Notices are currently set at £60 and must be paid within 28 days. Non-payment within this timeframe results in a total Penalty of £120. Non-payment of fines will result in prosecution.

Unauthorised absences are those which the Local Authority does not consider reasonable and for which no ‘leave of absence’ has been agreed by the school.

These include:

  • Holidays during school time.
  • Parents keeping children off school unnecessarily, e.g. for company, shopping, birthdays, hair appointments, dancing shows, looking after other children etc.
  • Truancy before or during the school day.
  • Absences which have never been properly explained.
  • Children who arrive at school late.

I hope you find this information useful and that you will continue to work with the school and class teachers to ensure your child maximises the opportunities that Maindee Primary has to offer. We all need to work together to raise levels of attendance at school and I hope that you will support us in our drive to increase the attendance of all children at Maindee.