Ysgol Y Castell’s attendance target is 95%.
Our whole school priority is to improve our whole-school attendance percentage.
‘Missing school is missing out!’
It is essential for children to attend as much school as possible if they are to get the most from their education and achieve their full potential. Being absent or late to school means a lost learning opportunity for your child.
If your child is unwell or cannot attend school for any reason please call the school office or inform your child’s class teacher on the first day of absence. If you fail to notify the school, Mrs Mears will contact you using the contact details provided.
Medical appointments should be made outside school hours whenever possible.
Nursery attendance (children under 5) is non-statutory however policies apply as the children are in a school setting.
Family holidays: Wherever possible, you should take family holidays during school holidays. It’s especially disruptive for your child to miss school days at the start of the school year, when new routines are being set up.
If for some unavoidable reason you want to take your child on holiday during term time, you must complete a ‘holiday request form’, available from the school office and get this signed by the head teacher. Term time holidays are authorised if the pupil has over 95%. Anything under 95% will not be authorised unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Initiatives: To encourage children to attend school as much as possible and meet our 95% target, we have developed the following initiatives:
Weekly 100% attendance raffle tickets where children are entered into a prize draw.
Classroom attendance display: Each class has an attendance display that shows which children have had 100% attendance. This is updated on a weekly basis. Every child who has 100% attendance for a week will receive a green dojo.
Certificates for the most improved attendance: In our school hall we have our class photographs on our attendance display boards. The boards also display the attendance percentage for the whole class collectively on a weekly basis. The infant or junior class that has the highest attendance figure is rewarded with extra playtime.
We realise that there are some occasions such as illness and hospital appointments which are unavoidable and will impact on a child’s attendance, but across an academic year a child should still be able to meet our 95% target.
Attendance is monitored on a regular basis and letters are sent home if attendance for the month drops below 90%.
If attendance is below 85% then you will be invited to a meeting in the school.
