Absences

If your child is absent from school, you must phone school as soon as possible that morning to inform us of the reason unless it is a leave of absence or medical appointment that we have previously been told about. If your child is not in school and we have not been contacted you will receive a phone call asking why your child is not in school. This ensures that your child is safe.

Punctuality

It is disruptive to both your child and the class if pupils arrive late to school so every effort must be made to arrive before the doors close at 9:00am. If your child is late then they should be brought to Reception and signed in, giving a reason for their lateness. Persistent lateness will follow the same steps as persistent absenteeism.

Medical Appointments

If medical appointments have to take place within the school day, the appointment letter/email/text must be shown to the school in order for it to be authorised. There is also the expectation that the child will be in school before and after the appointment if it falls outside of the start or end of the school day

Holidays in Term Time

The Newport High School cluter takes a consistent and standard approach, in line with Welsh Government policy and does not authorise any holiday in term time.

Leave of Absence in Term Time

Wherever possible we would encourage families to take leave of absence outside of term time. If this is not possible then a leave of absence form should be completed. Only in exceptional circumstances will leave of absence be authorised. The following criteria, as agreed by the Newport High cluster, must to be met in order for the absence to be considered:

1. Your child is of Statutory School Age (5 years and above)
2. Your child’s average level of attendance across the rolling 12 months prior to the date of requested leave is 96% or above
3. Your child is always punctual to school
4. Your child’s attendance record for the current academic year shows no unexplained or unauthorised absences
5. The requested leave does not fall within an assessment period

You will also need to be aware of the following points:

• I have a legal responsibility to ensure my child receives an education and therefore this leave may trigger the issuing of a Fixed Penalty Notice
• I do not have an automatic right to withdraw my child from school in any event during term time
• By taking my child/children away from school, I risk receiving a Fixed Penalty Notice on return or the future if the below criteria is not met
• My child’s academic progress is likely to be affected due to this period of absence
• The application is considered on an individual case basis by the Deputy Head teacher, delegated by school’s Governing Body and authorisation is subject to set criteria.

Attendance rewards

At Crindau Primary we recognise the importance of excellent attendance. Every term, pupils with 98-100% attendance for that term receive an attendance certificate. This can be used towards achieving a medal of excellence.

Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN)

The Education (Penalty Notice) Wales Regulations 2013: This legislation came into force in September 2014 and has given Local Authorities powers to issue fixed penalty notices (FPN). A code of conduct has been agreed by Newport City Council on the issuing of the FPN which includes the following criteria: 

• Minimum of 10 unauthorised absences in a twelve-week rolling term which do not have to be consecutive. 
• Attendance below 92% 
• Minimum of 10 sessions of lateness after the close of registration (Registration closes half an hour after the start of the school day).
• Parents/carers who choose to take their children out of school to go on holiday during term time without authorisation from the Head teacher, rolling from one school year to the next.
• Truancy, where the child has come to the attention of the police or public or public during school hours for being absent from school, without acceptable reason.

If an FPN is requested, the Education Welfare Service Manager (EWS) for the Local Authority will review the case with the school, considering levels of absence, level of parental engagement, any equality implications, history of attendance and also any statement of special educational needs. A fixed penalty notice warning may be issued and a period of 15 days will be monitored for an immediate improvement. A warning may not be issued in respect of an unauthorised holiday in term time. A penalty notice is £60 if paid within 28 days in receipt of the notice, increasing to £120 if not paid within 28 days. If not received by 42 days then the local authority can prosecute parents for the child’s absence.