After receiving Callio letters, parents often have questions. Therefore, I have put together the following information to answer some of the most commonly raised queries. Not every query may be answered here – please also see https://www.pontllanfraithprimary.co.uk/information_1/attendance-procedures and https://www.gov.wales/school-attendance-and-absence if your query isn’t answered below.
What is Callio?
In Pontllanfraith Primary School we use the Callio approach in conjunction with the local authority and other local authorities within the South East Wales region. The aim of the approach is to further inform parents about attendance and how this will impact on pupils.
Regardless of the reasons for absence you will receive updates informing you of your child’s attendance within the Callio banding. How does the banding work?
Green: above 95% attendance - no more than 10 days absence in an academic year
Amber: 85 - 95% attendance
Red: Attendance below 85% - equivalent to more than 28 days missed in an academic year
NB Welsh Government define persistent absenteeism as below 80% - equivalent to more than 39 days missed in an academic year
Response to the COVID-19 pandemic
The threshold for the red Callio banding has been lowered for the academic years 2022/23 & 2023/24 in recognition that there are higher rates of illness (including other viruses such as Chicken Pox) post pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, Callio bandings in Pontllanfraith were set at
Green: 95%+
Amber: 90 - 95%
Red: less than 90%
Why do you send these letters?
Because attendance is important. Pupils with poor attendance are more likely to fall behind with their work, have gaps in their learning, and therefore, achieve lower examination results. This will affect their life chances for the future. We all have the responsibility to ensure that our pupils achieve the best start in life, so they can reach their full potential.
In primary schools, around 90% of children with good attendance (less than 10 days a year absence) make good progress in Literacy and Numeracy. But less than 65% of children with around 15 days absence make the same progress. Parents can be very surprised at how quickly their children can accumulate 15 days absence within a year.
My child’s attendance is low for good reason – why have I been sent a red letter?
Letters are sent without exception. No offence is intended. It is important that parents are aware of their child’s attendance as, regardless of reason, low attendance may be having an impact on their child.
Meetings with the Headteacher
Attendance is reviewed on a regular basis by the school admin team and then discussed with the headteacher. If your child’s attendance is of significant concern you will be asked to attend a meeting with the head or deputy headteacher.
This meeting is so that the school can establish the reasons why your child’s attendance is so low and also to discuss with you the impact it may be having on your child. We will look at your child’s overall attendance history, not just attendance since the beginning of the academic year. The headteacher sets aside several afternoons a half term to accommodate these meetings.
It may be that we are able to help some families as a result of these meetings. Or it may be that the school hasn’t been made aware of a key piece of information about a child’s health. In other cases, parents may not have considered the impact it may be having on their child – socially as well as academically.
If you do not attend these meetings then the school will ask the Education Welfare Officer to contact you to have these discussions instead.
Medical Proof
One outcome of a meeting with the Headteacher may be that you are asked to provide medical proof for future absences to be authorised.
Even if reasons have been provided there are some cases where children may have been absent unnecessarily. We look to see how many times a child is off and why. Have an excessive number of absences for the same reason been reported? Are reasons not being provided? Are there patterns of absence e.g. regular Fridays and Mondays?
Not every reported reason for absence is accepted and the headteacher may decide that because of a pattern of excessive absence further absences will only be authorised if medical proof is provided.
If your child’s attendance is of concern without any diagnosed underlying medical condition, you may be asked to provide medical proof when your child’s absent. This does not have to be a letter that you have paid for from the GP. You could email a photo of a prescription, for example.
Unauthorised Absences
Absences are unauthorised if you do not provide a reason for absence, if the headteacher does not consider the reason is acceptable (please note that authorisation is at the discretion of the headteacher and not given automatically because a reason has been provided), if children are taken out of school for an unauthorised holiday, if medical proof has been requested and not provided. We do not routinely inform parents that an absence is unauthorised, although this may be discussed with you if your child’s attendance is of concern.
Holidays in Term Time
We would expect pupils to take holidays during the school holidays whenever possible. A maximum of ten school days in an academic year may be authorised by the Headteacher for parents’ annual holidays. Leave of absence forms are available in the school office and should be completed before your holiday is taken. Currently we require a rolling attendance of 95% in the 12 months prior to the holiday for it to be authorised. This is calculated just prior to the holiday (therefore if you submit a form well in advance of a holiday you will not be notified until just before the holiday as to whether the absence will be authorised). Please note that if a holiday is taken in term time it is highly likely that your child’s attendance will fall below the expected level of 95% or better. Whilst in some cases an unauthorised holiday may result in no action from the school, you are strongly advised not to take a holiday in term time if your child has already had a number of unauthorised absences. If we establish that your child has missed school for an absence that is not covered by any other code, we may record it as an unauthorised holiday regardless of whether the leave of absence form has been submitted.
Fixed Penalty Notices
Fixed Penalty Notices are a last resort. Warning letters may be issued when there is a pattern of unauthorised absence, including unauthorised holidays (if there have been an excessive number of absences due to unauthorised holiday or the child’s attendance is of concern in addition to the holiday).