Attendance and Holidays | Ysgol Abererch

Attendance

The school has a duty to ensure that the pupils attend regularly. If a child is not in attendance for a session, they are marked as absent.Parents are expected to contact the school on the first morning so that the correct code for the absence can be entered on the register.

In accordance with National Assembly rules, every school must classify absences by one of two methods: authorised or unauthorised.

Usually, authorised absences include illness or medical appointments. Up to ten days of holidays can also be requested during one academic year. The Headteacher considers these requests on an individual basis. We strongly encourage parents not to take their children out of school during the academic year as continuity is essential to ensure efficient learning.
Any unexplained absences are categorised as being unauthorised. Information on school attendance is retained electronically by the LEA.

Education Welfare Officers could visit the homes of any parents whose children’s attendance figures are of concern to the school and LEA.

School Attendance 23/24

Attendance - 1st Term = 93.6%

Target = 95%

What you need to do if your child is absent

It is very important that the parent telephones the school before 9:15 am to give a reason for the absence. This is to enable us to put an accurate entry in our register and to ensure the safety of all children. There is an answering machine in the office to leave a message should there be no one available to receive the call. There is no full-time secretary at the school and therefore if you are emailing to explain an absence it should be sent to the headteacher's email - pennaeth@abererch.ysgoliongwynedd.cymru. It is reasonable and expected for us to ask what the nature of the sickness is and for how long the parent expects the sickness to persist.

Absence/Sickness Form

Holidays during school term

The school's governing body does not approve taking family holidays during a school term. Parents do not have an automatic right to remove pupils from school for holidays and there is appropriate action that should be taken. Parents are currently allowed to apply for up to 10 days' holidays during a school term with permission. You must apply for the holiday in advance, ideally before booking the holiday - each request will be considered individually. The attendance panel looks at matters such as the child's current attendance and how many holidays have already been taken in the educational year when making a decision.

Holiday Request During School Term

Punctuality

The bell rings at 8:45am and everyone is expected to be here on time unless there are special circumstances. Arriving late is recorded in the register.

Exclusion Period for Common Infections (May 2023) Including A-Z of Common Infections and Next Steps