If your child fails to attend school and no notification has been received to inform us of the reason for late arrival or absence, an automated text message will be sent asking you to contact the school.

It is the responsibility of parents/carers to ensure all contact details are up to date.

When a student is unavoidably absent from school, please telephone the school office by 9:00am on the first day of the absence and any subsequent days thereafter, so that we can ensure the safety and whereabouts of each student. The following process should be followed:

Absences should be reported by 9.00am, either by:

1. Attendance Officer E mail – info@grango.co.uk
2. Telephone – 01978 833010
3. Free Text – 07908670242

For medical appointments to be authorized we will require a copy of the appointment slip/letter detailing the time and date of the appointment.  If an appointment letter is not available a confirmation slip showing the appointment will suffice. Your child will be requested to sign out and sign back in at the front office. Please make every effort to arrange an appointment out of school hours where you can to ensure your child’s education is as consistent as possible.

If your child has a verified medical condition, we request to be made aware of this via a copy of a medical appointment letter signed by the doctor.  Once received, repeat doctor’s notes are not necessary.  However, parents must inform the school of absences as outlined above when they occur.

Please note, a full day will not be authorised for a medical appointment that is in the morning, or vice versa for the afternoon, unless there is a requirement to travel.

Reasons for absence are kept for school records. All unexplained absences or an absence of up to three days without parental contact, are automatically reported to our Educational Social Worker, Kelly Perrett. Letters asking for explanation of absence are sent home and/or phone calls made. Regular monitoring of punctuality and absences is undertaken by the Head of Year, Education Social Worker and Assistant Headteacher. If your child misses 10 days (20 sessions) in total due to sickness we will request a doctor’s note for every future illness stating the reason for the absence.

A Truancy Call system is in operation. If a student has not registered for school and we have not received an explanation from their parents, then a text message will be sent automatically to your mobile phone or landline from the school system.

Our school attendance policy adheres to the same rules as the local primary schools, in line with the Welsh Government Ruling.

Good punctuality at school is essential for students to achieve their full educational potential and builds good habits in readiness for future employment. Late arrival to school can seriously impact on a child’s education and therefore we have policies to address this issue.

All students are expected to arrive punctually for school in the morning and to arrive punctually to each lesson. A register is taken at the start of each day (8.50am) and at the start of each lesson. Students arriving late are recorded as thus on the register and appropriate sanctions are applied. If a student’s punctuality continues to be a cause for concern, Heads of Year will request a formal meeting to discuss this issue and the ESW service will be involved. Once again, we request that parents/carers keep the school informed of any issues affecting your child’s punctuality.

Ysgol Y Grango has adopted the Local Authority Attendance policy. Letters will be issued to parents/carers once a number of sessions have been reached as stated in the policy.  The table below clearly outlines the thresholds which trigger letters being issued to families.

Once a pupil reaches 10 sessions (5 days) absence whether authorised or unauthorised Attendance Letter 1 to be sent.

Once a pupil reaches 16 sessions (8 days) absence whether authorised or unauthorised Attendance Letter 2 will be sent.

Once a pupil reaches 22 sessions (11 days) absence whether authorised or unauthorised a phone call is made to parent/guardian/carer by school Attendance Officer/Progress Leader to discuss the attendance concerns. Letter 3 will be sent. This requests medical proof for all future absences to be authorised.

Once a pupil reaches 26 sessions (13 days) Unauthorised absence, a letter is sent to arrange a meeting with parent/guardian/carer/School Attendance Officer/Educational Social Worker.

Consideration will be given to attendance improvement strategies, including the introduction of an Attendance Improvement Plan (AIP)

If attendance continues to deteriorate, consideration will be given to implementing legal action – Fixed Penalty Notice or Prosecution, depending on attendance history, level of absence and past compliance

Parents do not have an automatic right to withdraw students from school during the school term for a holiday. At Ysgol Y Grango we strongly discouraged holidays during term time. Please see the school’s attendance and punctuality policy for further guidance.

We value and publicly celebrate excellent and improving attendance through a variety of rewards including individual attendance and tutor group rewards. Rewards range from vouchers to certificates.

Parents and Carers can help support their children to attend school regularly and punctually in many ways, including:

• Encourage your child to think positively about school and the benefits of education
• Introduce a consistent bedtime and morning routine for your child
• Make sure they have breakfast
• Prepare packed lunches the night before
• School uniform is ready to wear in the morning including ties and shoes
• Support your child to organise their school bag and equipment the night before
• Leave the house in plenty of time to get to school.