NEATH PORT TALBOT: Council fines 159 parents and takes 48 to court after kids skip school
Neath Port Talbot Council fined 159 parents and took 48 to court in the last school year after their children missed school without permission.
The fixed penalty notices were issued during 2025/26. Of the 48 parents in the court figure, some have already been prosecuted and the rest are waiting for a court date, according to a report to councillors.
In Wales, a school absence fine is £60, rising to £120 if it isn’t paid within 28 days. Parents who haven’t paid after 42 days face prosecution.
The council says it only turns to fines and the courts once every other avenue has been tried. Its education welfare officers work with schools, visit homes and try to step in before absence becomes a habit.
Neath Port Talbot school attendance slips after a winter bug and the red heat warning
Primary schools recorded 91.43% attendance in 2025/26 and secondaries 88.16%. Both were slightly down on the year before, though it was still the second-best year since Covid, the report says.
Two spells dragged the figures down. One was an illness wave in November that put some pupils in hospital. The other was the end of June, when schools across the county borough shut under the red heat warning.
Children on free school meals and pupils with additional learning needs still miss far more school than their classmates. The report calls the gap “too wide”.
The council has swapped its lower-paid attendance support officers for three extra education welfare officers, two pay grades higher, after struggling to hold on to staff on temporary contracts.
Ysgol Bae Baglan and Penafan bottom of the attendance table
Among mainstream secondaries, Ysgol Bae Baglan had the lowest attendance at 83.63%, followed by Llangatwg on 86.16%. Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Bro Dur’s secondary pupils had the best record, at 90.79%.
Bryncoch Church in Wales Primary topped the primary table on 94.92%, ahead of Creunant (94.52%) and Blaenbaglan (94.19%).
Penafan Primary was bottom of the mainstream primaries on 86.45%, and had the steepest fall of any school, down 3.37 points. Croeserw (87.48%) and Awel y Môr (88.43%) were next lowest.
638 pupils excluded, and exclusions among girls nearly doubled
In all, 638 pupils were given a fixed-term exclusion in 2025/26. That’s 38 fewer than the year before and the fourth fall in a row, but still above the 545 excluded in 2018/19.
The rate of exclusions among girls has almost doubled since 2018/19, and girls now make up a third of all fixed-term exclusions, the report says.
One group of pupils has topped the exclusion figures three years running: Year 8 in 2023/24, Year 9 in 2024/25 and Year 10 last year.
Persistent disruptive behaviour was the main reason for exclusion, followed by verbal or threatening behaviour towards an adult.
Sixteen pupils were permanently excluded, down from 19. Five of those were for persistent disruptive behaviour, and five for physical violence against an adult.
The reports go before the council’s education scrutiny committee on Thursday 1 October.
Every Neath Port Talbot school’s attendance, 2025/26
Change is in percentage points on 2024/25. All-through schools are split into primary and secondary phases. *Special school.
PrimaryAttendanceChangeBryncoch CIW Primary94.92%-0.29Creunant Primary94.52%+1.42Blaenbaglan Primary94.19%+0.44YGG Blaendulais94.15%+0.68YGG Cwmnedd93.87%-0.29YGG Cwmllynfell93.80%-0.69Rhos Primary93.33%+0.16St Joseph’s Infant93.30%+0.66Crymlyn Primary93.29%-0.26YGG Castell-nedd93.27%-0.75YGG Tregeles93.27%+1.41St Joseph’s Junior92.99%+0.50YGG GCG92.93%-0.45Abbey Primary92.89%-0.10Blaenhonddan Primary92.88%-1.04Glyncorrwg Primary92.80%+0.12YGG Trebannws92.75%+0.68Baglan Primary92.59%+0.18Catwg Primary92.52%-0.49Tairgwaith Primary92.47%-1.15Blaengwrach Primary92.32%-0.59Alltwen Primary92.18%-0.94Coed Hirwaun Primary92.16%+0.23YGG Rhosafan92.08%-0.49YGG Pontardawe92.02%-1.20Tonnau Primary91.86%-0.54Cilffriw Primary91.84%-1.10Ysgol Cwm Brombil (primary)91.83%-0.34YGG Tyle’r Ynn91.73%+0.01Waunceirch Primary91.62%-0.65Coedffranc Primary91.58%+0.42Alderman Davies CIW91.34%-0.45Llangiwg Primary91.30%-0.90Central Primary91.13%-0.97Rhydyfro Primary91.06%-0.26Cwmafan Primary90.93%-0.14St Joseph’s Primary90.89%-1.19Ynysfach Primary90.82%+0.12Godrergraig Primary90.77%-0.94Tywyn Primary90.71%+0.33Crynallt Primary90.60%-0.56Sandfields Primary90.57%-0.32Maesmarchog Primary90.53%+0.19St Therese’s Primary90.52%-1.84YG Ystalyfera Bro Dur (primary)90.06%-0.86Cymer Afan Primary89.92%-0.82Ysgol Carreg Hir89.88%-0.01Melin Primary89.60%-1.91Eastern Primary89.51%-0.91Gnoll Primary89.36%-2.07Blaendulais Primary89.25%-1.31Cwmnedd Primary89.25%-1.13Ysgol Bae Baglan (primary)88.89%-1.67Awel y Môr88.43%-1.77Croeserw Primary87.48%-1.75Penafan Primary86.45%-3.37Ysgol Maes y Coed*85.94%-1.77Ysgol Hendrefelin*68.12%+0.85SecondaryAttendanceChangeYG Ystalyfera Bro Dur90.79%+0.27Cwmtawe90.35%+0.10Dŵr y Felin89.14%-0.42St Joseph’s RC89.01%-0.08Ysgol Cwm Brombil88.15%+0.32Cefn Saeson87.57%-0.32Ysgol Maes y Coed*87.10%-2.13Llangatwg86.16%-1.01Ysgol Bae Baglan83.63%-1.99Ysgol Hendrefelin*77.33%+0.74Related stories from Swansea Bay News
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The June closures that hit the attendance figures.
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