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Why Regular Attendance Is So Important
Learning
Any absence affects the pattern of a child’s schooling and regular absence will seriously affect their learning. Any student’s absence disrupts teaching routines so may affect the learning of others in the same class.
Ensuring your child’s regular attendance at school is your legal responsibility and permitting absence from school without a good reason creates an offence in law and may result in prosecution.
Safeguarding
Your child may be at risk of harm if they do not attend school regularly. Safeguarding the interests of each child is everyone’s responsibility and within the context of this school, promoting the welfare and life opportunities for your child encompasses:-
Attendance
Behaviour Management
Health and Safety
Access to the Curriculum
Anti- Bullying
Failing to attend this school on a regular basis will be considered as a safeguarding matter.
Promoting Regular Attendance:
Helping to create a pattern of regular attendance is everybody’s responsibility – parents, students and all members of school staff.
How Parents Can Help
Contact the school promptly on the first morning of every absence
Make every effort to arrange medical and dental appointments outside of school hours
Encourage your child to attend school regularly
Support the school in ensuring that your child arrives promptly at school every morning
Contact the school to discuss any problems or emerging issues with your child
Praise and reward your child’s achievements at school
Absence Procedures
If your child is absent from school it is important that you contact the school by 9.30am on the first day of non-attendance to give the reason for their absence. Call 01633 484673 and choose option 1 to report your child’s absence, email head.cwmbranrc@torfaen.gov.uk or send a message via the School Gateway app.
If your child is unwell you must inform the school of the nature of the illness and not just state “not very well”. If your child is attending an appointment please send in a copy of the appointment letter, where possible, for our records. Pupil absence/lateness is monitored closely by the Education Welfare Officer.
Lateness
Poor punctuality is not acceptable. If your child misses the start of the day they can miss work and do not spend time with their class teacher getting vital information and news for the day. Late arriving students also disrupt lessons, can be embarrassing for the child and can also encourage absence. LATENESS ADDS UP!
Being 15 minutes late every day will add up to TWO WEEKS of school missed every year
The school day starts at 9am and we expect your child to be in class and ready to learn by that time. If they arrive after 9am, you will be asked to sign your child in and they will receive a late mark.
If your child arrives after 9am, they must enter through the main entrance by the school office and be signed in by a parent or guardian. This is to ensure that every child has been registered in school in the case of a fire drill or emergency.
At 9.30am the registers will be closed. In accordance with the regulations, if your child arrives after that time they will receive a mark that shows them to be on site, but this will not count as a present mark and it will mean they have an unauthorised absence.
If your child has a persistent late record you will be called for a meeting to resolve the problem, but you can approach us at any time if you are having problems getting your child to school on time.
Fixed Penalty Notices
Fixed Penalty Notices may be considered appropriate when:
At least 10 sessions (5 school days) are lost due to unauthorised absence during a term. These do not need to be consecutive
At least 10 sessions (5 school days) are lost due to unauthorised leave of absence during a term or delayed return from extended holidays
Persistent late arrival at school after the register has closed (recorded as a U code) during a term. “Persistent” means at least 10 sessions of late arrival
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
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