All members of Ysgol Y Strade are committed to ensuring that all the children who attend the school receive the best possible education and that they receive support to achieve their full potential. A key factor to achieve this is to ensure high attendance with a clear link between attendance and achievement. The Welsh Government expects all children to attend school at least 95% of the time. Attending school regularly is therefore essential for the children to succeed in the future. 

When your child is absent, you are expected to contact the school on the first day of illness. You can contact by calling the school; send a message via ClassCharts or send an e-mail to the school’s Attendance Officer at swyddfa@ysgolystrade.org  

 

We have a specific policy which can be found on the website under the Policies section. We appreciate your cooperation in order to ensure that your child attends the school. 

Not attending school regularly, a day here or there doesn’t seem like much, but absences add up. Two days a month is equal to 4 weeks a year which is over one year of lost learning from Year 1 to Year 13. 

Every school day counts, each day missed makes it harder to catch up, can lead to lower achievements in reading, writing and numeracy and impacts a child’s ability to make important social connections. 

There are lots of reasons why a child should attend school: 

  • To learn 
  • To build confidence and self-esteem 
  • To understand responsibility 
  • To develop new skills 
  • To grow as individuals 
  • To gain qualifications 
  • To make new friends, have fun and develop life skills 
  • To develop awareness of other cultures 

Excellent attendance at school allows a child to have the best possible start in life. 

As a Parent or Carer you can help by:

  • ensuring your child understands the importance of excellent attendance and punctuality 
  • taking an interest in their education – asking about school work and encourage them to get involved in school activities 
  • discussing any problems they may have at school and inform their Student Support Officer to pass on concerns quickly 
  • not allowing them take time off school for minor ailments – particularly those which would not prevent you from going to work 
  • arranging appointments after school hours, at weekends or during school holidays will help to prevent disruption to your child’s education and to the school 
  • being open and willing to work with us to improve your child’s attendance 

As a Student, you can improve your attendance by:

  • speaking to a trusted adult about the reasons why you might not want to come to school 
  • trying hard every morning to get up and get to school, unless you are really unwell 
  • getting an early night, feeling tired on a morning can make getting to school harder 
  • make sure you get to school on time every day
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