Local authority discourage dental appointments during school hours

Elgan Hearn, local democracy reporter

A Welsh council is asking dentists not to book appointments for children and young people during school hours.

This is part of a drive to boost attendance figures at schools in Blaenau Gwent, which are amongst the worst in the whole of Wales.

A recent report explained the work being done by the council to improve school attendance in Blaenau Gwent.

Improving attendance

Director of Education, Luisa Munro-Morris explained some of the tactics being used to improve attendance.

She said: “One of things we have done is contact all the dental practices in the area and talked to them around how important it that they try and make appointments after school, or first thing in the morning.”

Dr Munro-Morris added: “Because we know that when parents make an appointment at 1pm they just keep the child off for the whole day and there’s no reason for that.”

Implementing a ‘pathway’

At a council meeting for Blaenau Gwent’s Labour Cabinet, senior councillors discussed a report on “attendance and exclusions and elective home education.”

The report explained the work being done by the local authority to increase school attendance, bring down exclusions, and how they are dealing with the rising numbers of children and young people who are now choosing to be educated from home.

Dr Munro-Morris told councillors that since September last year a “pathway” for all schools in Blaenau Gwent to follow is now in place and has already seen some improvements in attendance figures.

Deputy council leader Cllr Helen Cunningham said: “I can see that all schools are now implementing the pathway.”

Although the council did raise that the pathway is “easier for or larger schools from a financial perspective and in terms of staffing.”

Director of Education Munro-Morris said: “It is harder for our smaller schools to release senior or middle (school) leaders to be able to support with the pathway, as it does really need a dedicated member of staff.”

Cllr Cunningham asked whether smaller schools could “pair up” and share a member of staff to manage the attendance pathway.

Dr Munro-Morris said that this was a “really good idea”, and councillors went on to approve the report.