IT'S referred to as bunking off, skiving, mitching, or truancy. With the new school term underway, Gwent's schools are concentrating on one of their most important targets - attendance - as EMMA MACKINTOSH reports.

IN 2014, going to school every day doesn’t just result in a tick in a box on a piece of paper.

Welsh schools are expected to crunch those numbers and come up with annual attendance figures for not only individual pupils and form groups, but the whole school.

Ninety per cent attendance might sound high, but that means a pupil is missing one day a fortnight of school, adding up to four weeks per academic year.

That’s a sizeable chunk of that pupil’s education, argues Angharad Williams, who is now attendance officer at St Julian’s School in Newport having worked there as a French and Spanish teacher last year.

It also gets picked up by the Welsh schools inspectorate Estyn, as statistics show missing four weeks of school cuts a pupil’s likelihood of achieving five top A*-C grades including English and maths at GCSE by six per cent – an area in which schools are closely scrutinised, not least by the likes of the Welsh Government.

Along with Rachel Barry, family support officer, whose role is also brand new, the existing education welfare officer, and the attendance secretary, the school’s new-look attendance team is testing a different approach to raising attendance, which although no different in terms of policy is one they hope will help spot patterns early on if a child is regularly missing school.

Based near the school’s careers and counselling services, the team’s office has comfortable chairs where families can come and speak to them privately, away from the main reception.

They’ve distributed posters to shops nearby where youngsters may be tempted to go if they’re skipping school, advising shop staff of lunchtimes and the school’s phone number if there’s a problem, and put up a banner outside school.

“Our new drive to improve attendance is in two parts,” explained Mrs Barry, whose role is funded by the school’s pupil premium grant. “Mrs Williams will keep an eye on attendance and flagging up pupils who are off for the odd day, while I will go out and visit families, unpick the reasons why and encourage pupils to come back.”

Having the time to dedicate to attendance and spotting problems early on is key, they explained, as previously it would have been down to the head of year who had many other tasks to do too.

“It’s what we’ve needed for a long time,” said Mrs Barry.

The team are devising a series of rewards for pupils with good attendance – and their teachers – including dinner time ‘queue jump’ passes for form groups who have 100 per cent attendance for a whole week, and vouchers.

Pupils with full marks for attendance also have their picture displayed on the attendance board in the student foyer.

“There can be all sorts of reasons for missing school – mental health, family breakdown, a bereavement,” said Mrs Barry. “If there’s a reason why, we can put notes on our school computer systems and the form teachers would be made aware, so pupils don’t have to keep repeating themselves.”

Mrs Williams said: “Sometimes you have a sniffle and can’t face getting up, which is the same for adults, but unless you really are ill you need to try and come in and see how you feel, even if you end up going home later.

“Pupils could be worried about lessons or coursework, which is why it’s important for them to tell us, because we can then liaise with their teachers.”

Some families travel away at the weekend or pupils go away on a school trip and think it’s OK to take the Monday off, said Mrs Williams.

“It has a direct effect on attainment for five GCSE grades A*-C including English and maths,” she said.

The school’s official attendance target for this year is 94 per cent, but Mrs Williams is aiming for 95 per cent.

“Attendance is generally OK, but you can’t be complacent,” she said. “There are a minority of pupils who miss school, but there is a significant number in that minority.”

Some pupils who have perfect attendance may suddenly start missing school and that could indicate a problem elsewhere, said Mrs Williams, adding that she and the team plan to give out surveys to years 10 and 11 to find out what incentives would appeal to them to encourage them to aim for perfect attendance. Younger pupils could receive certificates, she said.

Form tutors still supervise attendance, provide pastoral care to the pupils and know their pupils well.

“A lot of them do a really good job with attendance already,” said Mrs Williams. “But hopefully we will have our finger on the pulse and our new roles can allow new initiatives to happen.”