Education

Secondary school attendance rates post-pandemic are a concern

Published

2 years ago

January 17, 2024

A NEW report published this week by Estyn, and seen by The Herald, shows that attendance in secondary schools has declined since the COVID-19 pandemic and has been slow to improve. Pupils who are eligible for Free School Meals (eFSM) have lower rates of attendance than pupils who are not eligible for FSM. The number of pupils who are persistently absent has increased substantially.

Im summary, Estyn says that improving attendance requires a multi-agency and cross service approach alongside support from the Welsh Government.

The report finds that schools have responded to these challenges by increasing their support for pupil well-being and putting measures into place to improve attendance such as rigorous monitoring and analysis of attendance rates. However, overall attendance has not improved at a fast enough rate. Schools which have been the most effective have a strong culture of high expectations regarding attendance, make effective us of data, focus on high quality teaching and effectively evaluate the impact of their work.

Owen Evans, Chief Inspector says: ‘Attendance rates in secondary schools are a cause for concern; when pupils are not in school, they are not learning, and the data reported equates to too many pupils having at least one day off per fortnight. Absence holds back many learners, particularly those living in poverty where non-attendance among pupils eligible for Free School Meals is a notable concern.

While most schools understand the importance of improving pupils’ attendance, in some schools, work to improve attendance has not had enough impact. Schools that are successful in improving attendance target resources carefully, monitor attendance with rigorous use of data, work with families, and set high expectations of pupils. Schools, Local Authorities and Welsh Government all have their role to play in improving attendance and should carefully consider the recommendations in the report.’

The report considers a range of barriers that schools face when tackling poor attendance, including how parents view the importance of good attendance, increasing costs associated with school transport, and the lack of dedicated Welsh Government funding to improve attendance.

Alan Edwards, author of the report, says: ‘It’s clear that although schools have an important role in improving attendance, they cannot tackle this issue alone. Improving attendance will require a cross-service approach alongside support from the Welsh Government. This includes reviewing the three-mile limit to free transport which particularly impacts pupils from lower-income families and how those not eligible for free school transport can be better supported to attend school. We also recommend that Welsh Government should consider how the funding that is available to schools can best help to build capacity and support staff to improve attendance. We have also recommended that Welsh Government develop a national campaign to improve parental and carer perception of the importance of attending school.’

Commenting, Laura Doel, National Secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT Cymru, said: “It is true that attendance has not fully recovered since the pandemic. There are many complex reasons for this, including continued illness, changing parental attitudes, increased issues with mental health and anxiety, and the appalling impact of rising poverty levels due to the cost-of-living crisis.

“As this report points out, some of this schools can – and are – attempting to tackle, but much of it is beyond schools’ expertise or ability to control. Access to mental health support, for example, is extremely limited following over a decade of neglect and under-funding of public services as a result of UK Government austerity. Continued cuts to core budgets for schools mean that posts like family liaison officers are under threat if they haven’t been cut already. Schools used to be able to rely far more on a wide range of services there to help support families and children that simply don’t exist in the same way.

“If the Welsh Government is serious about solving attendance issues – and is certainly is vital that children are in school as much as possible – then serious investment into a multi-agency approach is required. As ESTYN points out, Local Authorities and Welsh Government have a big part to play in solving this problem – schools can’t be left alone to try and fix it.”

Cymraeg

Welsh language report says students face mixed experiences across colleges and universities

Published

3 days ago

May 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A NEW report has found that Welsh-speaking students face inconsistent access to Welsh language services across Wales’ colleges and universities.

The research, published by the Welsh Language Commissioner on Monday (May 25), gathered responses from more than 1,500 further and higher education students.

It examined four key areas: whether students can submit written work in Welsh, choose accommodation with Welsh-speaking students, access a Welsh-speaking personal tutor, and receive wellbeing support through the medium of Welsh.

The report also looked at the wider language culture on campuses, including how institutions promote Welsh language services and support students to use Welsh naturally in academic and social settings.

Osian Llywelyn, Deputy Welsh Language Commissioner, said colleges and universities had a vital role in helping students use Welsh as part of everyday life.

He said: “Given the importance of sustaining and developing the continued use of the Welsh language, it is essential to recognise the key role that further education colleges and higher education institutions play in ensuring that students have the opportunity to use Welsh naturally as part of their academic and social lives.

“While it is encouraging to see strong examples of good practice, that experience is not consistent across the sector. As a result, we have identified clear improvement actions, and we will be asking the relevant institutions to address them.”

Five improvement actions have been identified. These include standardising Welsh-medium assessment arrangements, proactively offering Welsh language services rather than simply making them available on request, addressing gaps in workforce Welsh-language skills, strengthening students’ sense of belonging through Welsh, and improving self-assessment and monitoring.

James Owen, Chief Executive of Medr, the body responsible for funding and regulating tertiary education in Wales, said the findings showed the need for more support across the sector.

He said Medr’s new Welsh Language Condition would place a clearer focus on providers promoting and supporting the use of Cymraeg, and on creating formal and informal opportunities for staff and learners to develop their Welsh-language skills.

Ioan Matthews, Chief Executive of Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, said students’ experiences of Welsh at college or university could influence their willingness and ability to use the language later in the workplace.

He said the report showed the need for the Welsh-language experience to extend “well beyond the classroom”.

The report will be officially launched at the Welsh Language Commissioner’s stand at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Anglesey at 11:00am on Monday (May 25).

Education

£1,500 cash bursary announced for aspiring local youngsters

Published

4 days ago

May 20, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

FOLLOWING its previous success, Ceredigion Youth Service is fortunate to accept another opportunity provided by West Wales Holiday Cottages to support young people with a cash bursary this year.

The purpose of the bursary is to provide young people aged between 11 and 25 with the chance to receive £1,500 to help with their future aspirations. The successful applicant(s) will be chosen by Ceredigion Youth Forum, which is a panel made up of young people from Ceredigion.

Gwion Bowen, Senior Support Officer Participation, said: “We are very grateful to West Wales Holiday Cottages for providing us with this opportunity for young people in Ceredigion for the ninth year in succession. Like ourselves, West Wales Holiday Cottages recognise that many young people living in Ceredigion may experience difficulties in accessing training, support and social activities due to socio-economic issues. The bursary was extremely successful last year, with a young person gaining financial support to help them with their mobile beauty start up business.”

Councillor Wyn Thomas, Cabinet for Schools and Lifelong Learning, said: “I would like to encourage anyone aged between 11 and 25 who needs financial support to reach their goals to consider this fantastic opportunity. As with previous years, I hope that the bursary is a success again this year, and that it will benefit young people in Ceredigion.”

Lisa Stopher, Managing Director at West Wales Holiday Cottages said, “West Wales Holiday Cottages are delighted to be supporting the bursary once again in partnership with Ceredigion Youth Service. We recognise that many young people can face barriers when accessing opportunities, training and resources, and we hope this bursary will continue to make a positive difference by giving young people the support they need to pursue their goals and aspirations.”

Do you need financial support to reach your goals? Would you benefit from having financial support to help you with training or equipment that is required for your chosen vocation? Are you looking for support to start your own enterprise? Are you a member of a community group and looking for financial support to purchase resources or equipment?

The closing date for applications is midnight on 19 July 2026. If you’re interested, contact Gwion Bowen on 07790 812939 or e-mail [email protected] for an application form.

Education

Ashmole & Co fund future accountants with financial donation to primary school

Published

4 days ago

May 20, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

CARMARTHENSHIRE’S would-be mathematicians are being given a major boost in their careers thanks to an Ashmole & Co donation to Ysgol Llandybie Primary School.

The donation, funded by the company’s Ammanford office, will help with the annual purchase of the online MyMaths resource which uses the online resource to help pupils and parents with the teaching of maths at home as well as allowing teachers to set tasks and provide them with tutorials to show them the mathematical concepts being taught.
The programme can assist in all areas of mathematics from shape to space, and from data to financial literacy.

Laura Craddock, Partner in Ashmole & Co’s Ammanford office, said, “We are always keen
to offer our support locally. We are more than happy to help fund the online resource
MyMaths to help train the local accountants of the future from a young age.”

Llandybie Primary School Head Teacher, Rhian Pritchard, said, “We are keen to continue
using online resources to enhance our pupils’ learning experience but they come at an extra
cost. We are grateful to Ashmole and Co for the donation which will enable us to continue
the provision of online maths learning.”