Attendance

At the start of each new school year, we take the opportunity to remind parents / carers / guardians of the importance of all students benefiting from regular school attendance. We would like to work closely with all parents /carers / guardians to ensure that each and every student is successful, through continuity of learning, and is consequently able to achieve their full potential at our school. This year, a key part of our attendance strategy will be to effectively monitor and address patterns of school attendance through our ‘Traffic Light’ Attendance Scheme. Parents / carers / guardians will be in receipt of a letter informing them of their son’s / daughter’s ‘Attendance Zone’ at the end of each school half-term. The table below explains the different attendance categories:-

We fully recognise, however, that students are at times absent for genuine reasons, such as personal ill health or medical and dental appointments. However, we as a school ask for the full co-operation or parents / carers / guardians to ensure, wherever possible, that such visits take place either at the end of the school day or during the school holiday period. Holidays are not to be taken during term time but the Pupil Registration Regulations (2010) provide Headteachers with a discretionary power to authorise leave for a family holiday during term time, where parents /carers / guardians seek permission. Holiday requests must be submitted on a Holiday Request Form at least 28 days in advance. This form can be downloaded below by clicking on the link below.

Holiday Request Form

Regular attendance really is the key to your son / daughter making good progress at school and we look forward to working closely together with all parents / carers / guardians to ensure that every student is able to achieve their full potential.

TAKING HOLIDAYS DURING TERM TIME

In Wales we want all our students to achieve success, so it is important that parents / carers / guardians do their best to support them in attending school for the full 190 days in the academic year, as stated in the Education (School Day and School Year) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations, 2006. Under the Education Act (1996), it is the responsibility of the parent / carer / guardian to ensure that their son / daughter attends school. It is our hope that you can support this policy and arrange holidays around the existing 175 days that the school is closed through weekends and school holidays and so help us to support your son / daughter in achieving success in school. If, however, there are circumstances that mean you have to request permission to take a holiday during term time, we ask that you fill in the form below. This may be submitted this as a hard copy to the School Office for the attention of either Miss C. Jones or Mrs K. Myatt, or e-mailed to absence@chs.wales.

The form must be completed at least 28 days before the absence is required in order to be considered for authorisation. The Pupil Registration (Wales) Regulations 2010 provide Headteachers with a discretionary power to authorise leave for a family holiday during term time where permission is sought. The procedure at Crickhowell High School is that all the factors noted below will be taken into consideration before a decision is made as to authorise holiday requests:

• Attendance figures for the last year (we would expect attendance to be above 90%)
• Behaviour and attitude to school life.
• The holiday does not impact on any key periods of learning (such as examinations and assessments)
• The form is completed correctly and the request is made at least 28 days before the holiday.

Please remember that holidays can only be authorised at the Headteacher’s discretion. Please also ensure that your contact details are correct on our school system. It should also be noted that an application for a ‘Fixed Penalty Notice’ will be considered if there are 5 or more days (10 sessions) of ‘unauthorised absence’ recorded, in addition to the attendance level being below 90% for the school year to date.