Coronavirus hits pupil attendance figures in Gwent schools

Pupils in Wales returned to school on September 1, albeit to a very different classroom environment from the one they left behind in the spring.

Schools where positive cases of Covid-19 have been identified must take steps to prevent the spread of the virus, and in many cases this has meant sending entire year groups home to self-isolate if a case is confirmed.

On Friday September 18, the Argus reported how dozens schools across the Gwent region had taken such measures following confirmed coronavirus cases.

Since then classes in more schools in the area have had to begin two weeks' self isolation, while others have retuned to he classroom after completing that period at home.

Figures from the Welsh Government show that in the school week running September 14-18, pupil attendance in Newport was 70.7 per cent.

That figure includes pupils of all ages, at all state schools.

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Elsewhere in Gwent, the figures were higher - Blaenau Gwent (80.8 per cent), Caerphilly (77 per cent), Monmouthshire (89.1 per cent), and Torfaen (86.2 per cent).

The Welsh average for the same week was 80 per cent, up from 72 per cent the previous week.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said earlier this month keeping schools open was a "top priority" for the Welsh Government and there were no national discussions over closing schools to prevent a further rise in cases.

Attendance across Wales has picked up gradually over the course of September, figures show, with eight-out-of-ten pupils in school last Wednesday, September 23, compared to six-out-of-ten on Monday September 7 - the earliest date for which the data is available.