Dear Parents and Carers,
Re: School attendance expectations and procedures
Good school attendance is key to helping children have the best possible start in life to support and maximise their potential
learning opportunities. There is clear evidence which links educational achievement to good school attendance.
At Prestatyn High School, during 2025-26
- If our pupils missed more than 30% of school, they failed to achieve 5 A*-C GCSE grades.
- If our pupils missed between 10-20% of school, only 21% managed to achieve 5 A*-C GCSE grades.
- If our pupils missed less than 5% of school, more than 80% achieved 5 A*-C GCSE grades.
Prestatyn High School is determined to provide the best education to the children they serve. In recognition that school attendance
and attainment are strongly linked, a robust attendance procedure has been developed to support pupils’ learning. The procedure
includes absence prompts and opportunities to meet with staff to support parents and carers in achieving the highest possible
attendance for their child. It also, however, has triggers to progress the matter to court for a parental prosecution where there is
a failure of parents/carers to take up the support offered and where the child’s education suffers.
If your child has 20 sessions (10 school days) of unauthorised absence within one term for any reason (including holidays, lateness
after close of register and any other unauthorised absence), as part of the attendance procedures the school can request that the
Local Authority issue you with a Fixed Penalty Notice. Fixed Penalty Notices and other sanctions will only be used where parental
co-operation with this process is either absent or deemed to be insufficient to resolve the problem. The action will be used as a
means to support parents to meet their legal responsibilities. You need to be aware that although you may provide a reason for
absence, it is the school which decides if the absence is recorded as authorised or unauthorised.
Further information regarding Fixed Penalty Notices is available on the Denbighshire website. Please find attached information
for more facts relating to the link in attendance and attainment.
The purpose of this letter is to advise you that the structure is in place and will be followed. It is also to encourage you to take up
the offers of support from the school to avoid reaching the point that prosecution is used as a measure to ensure your child
attends school. Our policy is in place to improve attendance. As we know, for our children, this allows them to attain. Please
support us and your child to attend more and attain more!
Thank you for your continued support.
Yours faithfully,
Claire Turner
Pennaeth/Headteacher