One of the most important factors that affects a child’s progress at school is regular attendance.  For a child to gain most benefit from education, it is vital that parents work in partnership with the school to encourage good attendance and punctuality.

At Mayals Primary we have a Wellbeing manager, Mrs Clay, who monitors attendance and punctuality closely.  She also works weekly with our Education Welfare Officer, Mrs Vanita MacGlynn to assist parents who are having difficulty with their children’s attendance.  

We would much rather support families that may need our help!

Lateness:

We ask parents to bring children to school punctually - our school bell rings for the start of the day at 8.50am, and our registers close at 9.00am.  If your child arrives after these times they will need to be accompanied by an adult to the school office where they will need to be signed in.

Being persistently late for school can have a bigger detrimental effect on a child’s education than is realised (as the table below indicates).  More so than this, it is often embarrassing for a child to walk into class late on a frequent basis.

Absence:

If children are absent from school, parents are asked to inform the school via email or telephone.  The school contact details can be found through the toolbar above.  It is important that school is made aware of the precise nature of the absence in order that we can code it correctly in accordance with Welsh Government directive.

If you are aware of your child's absence in advance e.g. medical appointment, this information can be passed to us as soon as it is available.  Please bring a copy of the appointment card/letter wherever possible.

The national average school attendance for primary schools across Wales is around 95%. At Mayals, we have a target of 96%, however we have many pupils who achieve 100% attendance every year.

Below is a table indicating how persistent absence can affect long term goals:

Term Time Holidays:

The school asks that parents take all holidays during the 14 weeks per year that children are not in school. If this is not possible and you plan to take your child out of school during term time, please complete a leave of absence form and return to the school office at least two weeks before the planned break.

You can click on the link below to download a ‘Leave of Absence’ form.