Friday 18th July 2025
Dear Parent / Annwyl Rhiant,
End of Academic Year 2024-2025
I hope that this letter finds you well.
It is hard to believe that we have come to the end of another academic year. The Summer Term has brought many new and wonderful opportunities for our children and families. It has been a pleasure to see our children embrace their learning and thrive.
The children’s books reflect this wonderful learning. I’m sure that you’ll enjoy looking through the books and learning in more detail about the year gone by.
Attendance Update
We have enjoyed celebrating excellent attendance this academic year.
We are committed to promoting high rates of attendance, attainment and the well-being of our children at Maesglas Primary School. We value ‘being in school every day’ and the positive impact this has on children, helping them to enjoy their learning and supporting their wellbeing.
Next academic year, we will continue with our ‘attendance incentives and rewards’ to encourage children to be in school ‘for every single session possible’.
This academic year the children have responded brilliantly to these incentives and rewards. I am sure that they will be excited to see them continue.
Please see below the finer detail for your information.
The Incentive/Reward System:
Each child receives two raffle tickets each week for 100% attendance (these go into a draw). At the end of the half term 5 tickets are drawn (each ticket winner receives a £10 voucher). The more ‘weeks of 100% attendance’, the more tickets can be achieved and therefore there is an increased chance of winning.
At the end of each full term, children with 100% attendance for that term, receive a certificate and the chance to win a tablet (therefore three chances each year; one for each of the terms)
The class with the best attendance in each phase, each week wins a class reward.
The class in each phase, with the best monthly attendance, receives a class treat.
Our other supportive mechanisms:
We monitor attendance daily. A series of graded letters are issued, in consultation with the Education Welfare Officer, to inform families when attendance levels might present as a concern.
We offer meetings with families when attendance is a concern. Together we strive to agree shared strategies to improve attendance levels. These meetings are often very productive.
The information below helps to highlight the significant impact that missing school can have on a child’s education:
A child who misses just one day a week over each year, will lose 20% of their time in school, or the equivalent of a whole year for every 5 years in school.
We aim for 100% attendance. Attendance of 95% means that your child misses 2 whole weeks of school. Attendance of 92% means that your child misses 3 whole weeks of school.
Fixed Penalty Notices
Schools in Newport use Fixed Penalty Notices to ensure children and young people are accessing their education. Pupils whose attendance is below 90% are considered by Welsh Government to be ‘Persistent Absentees’.
A Fixed Penalty Notice is an early deterrent intended to prevent more extended periods of unauthorised absence developing and incur a fine of £120, reduced to £60 if paid within 28 days of the notice being served. Failure to pay a penalty notice will result in prosecution under the Education Act 1996.
Our governing body has agreed to issue FPNs when considered necessary. We very much appreciate your support in ensuring that your child attends school for every session possible.
Punctuality/Lateness
Children who are persistently late on arrival at school are very much disadvantaged in both their wellbeing and learning. Being late for school makes children anxious; it also means that they miss vital parts of the daily learning. It is difficult to ‘catch up’ on this missed learning and inevitably children perform less well than their peers. Please make sure that your child arrives at school on time. The Education Welfare officer is monitoring ‘lateness’ very closely in the Autumn Term, and persistent lateness could lead to the issuing of a FPN.
Uniform Requirements
In recent years we have taken great pride in how smart and presentable our children look in our school uniform. Our uniform is part of our identity at Maesglas Primary. When our children arrive in school, smartly presented in their uniform, the tone is set for the excellent standards and high expectations that they achieve. Most recently, during the Year 5 transition concert at John Frost School, it was wonderful to hear so many positive comments about our children’s uniform, which again set the tone for an excellent performance.
With a new academic year pending, I want to take this opportunity to remind all families regarding our high expectations with uniform requirements.
The compulsory elements of the uniform are as follows:
- White Polo Shirt (Year 5 and 6 White Shirt and Tie in Autumn and Spring Terms)
- Green Round-Neck Sweatshirt or Cardigan (Year 5 and 6 V-neck sweatshirt to sit well with shirt and Navy and White tie)
- Navy Trousers/Skirt/Dress/Tights
- Navy and White Gingham Dress/Navy Shorts optional for summer term
- Black Shoes
There are also a number of other excellent quality items that are available:
- A Navy Blue Bookbag
- A Navy PE Bag
- A Beanie Hat
- A Scarf
- A Navy Outdoor Fleece/Rain Jacket
I would like to remind parents that black shoes are an integral part of our school uniform. Please support us to ensure that we set the highest standard regarding dress code. If children wish to change into trainers for break and lunch times that is fine.
It is not compulsory to wear school branded uniform. We are committed to reusing uniform. This year there have been numerous occasions where families have been invited to collect high quality used uniform. This opportunity will be continued next year.
PE Uniform Policy
We would like to take this opportunity to remind families of our school policy for PE in preparation for the new academic year.
The compulsory elements of the uniform are as follows:
- PE Kit Indoor-Navy Shorts/White Round-Neck T-shirt
- PE Kit Outdoor-Navy Hooded Sweatshirt/Navy Jogging Bottoms/Trainers
Children do not need to have a school logo on these items.
In addition, children are not permitted to wear any jewellery during physical sessions. This includes all PE lessons, afterschool clubs and trips that include physical activity.
Our school policy is written and agreed upon by our board of governors and follows health and safety advice.
Please ensure that children can remove their own earrings and other jewellery, as staff are unable to assist with this. If your child is unable to do this, please ensure that they do not wear their jewellery on PE days.
Jewellery Policy
Our children are permitted to only wear a pair of ‘stud earrings’ to school. No other jewellery is permitted; this includes hoop earrings.
Free School Meals
All pupils are now offered a Universal Primary Free School Meal (UPFSM). However, if you receive a certain income, parents will still need to apply separately to the local authority for School Essentials (PDG Access) to access all funding available.
Additional Financial Support Available
In Wales, up to 40% of eligible parents are not claiming the financial support they are entitled to for help with school essentials. In recognition of the rising cost of living, we are urging parents and carers to claim the support they might be entitled to, to help pay for school essentials.
You may be eligible to receive Free School Meals and funding for school essentials. It is very important to your child’s school that you apply. The school can access additional funding for children who qualify for Free School Meals (eFSM) that will allow them to provide targeted support programmes, buy equipment and provide extra resources.
School Essentials (PDG Access) can help pay for things like school uniform, footwear, stationery, sports kit and other equipment. The allowance has been raised by £100 for this year only to £225 per learner, or £300 for those going into Year 7, to recognise the additional costs of starting secondary school.
Use the links below to check if you’re eligible for help with school essentials, including Free School Meals:
https://www.newport.gov.uk/en/Schools-Education/Schools/School-meals/School-meals.aspx
https://www.newport.gov.uk/en/Schools-Education/Schools/School-uniform.aspx
This can include uniform allowance and additional financial support for our school.
If parents receive any of the following payments their children are entitled to receive free school meals in maintained schools in Wales:
- Income Support
- Income Based Jobseekers Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and their annual
income does not exceed £16,190. (HM Revenue and Customs are responsible for assessing
the level of annual income.)
- Guarantee element of State Pension Credit.
- Working Tax Credit ‘run-on’ – the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks
after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit.
- Universal Credit
Young people who receive Income Support or Income Based Job Seekers Allowance in their own right are also entitled to receive free school meals.
Dates for Diary
Tuesday 2rd September 2025: Children return to school
Monday 20th October: Parent/Teacher Consultations
Tuesday 21st October: Parent/Teacher Consultations
Wednesday 22nd October: Parent/Teacher Consultations
Friday 24th October: End of Half Term
Planned INSET (school closure for pupils) Days
- Monday 1st September 2025
- Friday 19th December 2025
- Monday 6th January 2026
- Friday 20th March 2026
- Monday 20th July 2026
One remaining INSET Day is yet to be planned. We will inform you of this date as soon as possible.
Year 6 Leavers
Our Year 6 pupils will move on to new pastures in September. They have been a wonderful group of children, who have grown and blossomed during their time at Maesglas Primary. They have been excellent ambassadors for our school and a credit to their families. They are most certainly now ready for the new and exciting challenges that lie ahead. We will miss them and wish them every success for a bright future.
Thank you for your continued support this academic year. Enjoy a wonderful summer. We will look forward to seeing the children when they return on Tuesday 2nd September 2025.
Kind regards / Cofion caredig,
Mr A. Smith
Headteacher / Prifathro