Why good attendance matters
It is our duty at Ysgol Borthyn to monitor the attendance of all pupils. Our aim is to provide the best education possible for our pupils and it is through excellent attendance that they will have many exciting opportunities to succeed further.
Your role as parents/carers
You are legally responsible for making sure your child attends school on time every day. Working with school staff helps remove any barriers that may affect attendance. Please help us to help you.
If your child is absent
We understand there can be tricky times and so we offer our full support with any attendance issue-keeping us in the loop is the key! Please contact the school as early as possible on the first day of absence and let us know the reason. Schools record all absences using Welsh Government attendance codes. Please do not hesitate to contact us of there are ever any problems.
Authorised and unauthorised absences
- Authorised: This includes illness, medical appointments, religious observance, or approved school activities.
- Unauthorised: This includes unexplained absences or holidays not agreed by the school. Penalty notices may be issued for persistent unauthorised absence.
Persistent lateness
School starts at 8:55am. School starts at 8:55am. Pupils should be in class and ready to learn by this time each day. Being on time helps children:
- Settle into the day calmly
- Avoid missing important teaching
- Build good habits for the future
| Minutes late per day | Equivalent of missing |
| 5 Minutes | 3.4 school days a year |
| 10 Minutes | 6.9 school days a year |
| 15 Minutes | 10.3 school days a year |
| 20 Minutes | 13.8 school days a year |
| 30 Minutes | 20.7 school days a year |
Fixed Penalty Notices
You may receive a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) if:
- Your child has 10 days or more of unauthorised absences.
- Your child is late on more than 20 sessions (equivalent to 10 school days).
These notices are used only when other attempts to improve attendance have not worked and there is no underlying reason preventing attendance.
Holidays in term time
Holidays during term are unauthorised, unless they are agreed as exceptional circumstances. All requests for holiday leave should be in writing, ideally four weeks before the holiday, the application can only be made by the parent/carer.
How the school monitors attendance
We check attendance regularly and will contact you if we notice a pattern of absence so we can offer support early. We work closely with families to understand any difficulties and help improve attendance and may refer you to the Family Link, School Nurse or Educational Welfare Officer.
Need help?
If something is affecting your child’s ability to attend school, please talk to us. We are here to help and want every child to feel safe, included, and ready to learn.
Read our One Page Parent/Carer Summary here:
You can read our Attendance Policy here: