A Pembrokeshire campaign group has written to all the county’s primary schools, following stories of children being excluded from privileges or treats if their attendance does not hit a certain target.

The Western Telegraph understands that several primary schools across the county, including Newport and Narberth, have used in-house attendance reward schemes in which pupils who do not attain the desired attendance percentage miss out on treats.

One Narberth father told how his young son was not allowed to join his class mates in watching a film and eating pop corn as he had not achieved 98% attendance, due to ill health.

“We have been contacted by a number of parents across Pembrokeshire raising concerns and making enquiries about the use of in-house attendance schemes,” said a letter from Pembrokeshire Parents Want a Say to director for children and schools Kate Evan-Hughes.

“It is important to establish whether ad-hoc schemes are widespread across the county or not and on what basis they have been developed.

“We do not consider it appropriate for rewards or penalties to be issued to primary children for things that are beyond their control.

“Attendance is a matter for adults to decide so it is also worrying to hear that children within school councils or groups of children are actively involved in determining or creating schemes which reward or penalise their peers.

“This is particularly relevant where such a scheme might lead to individuals being identified, ʻblamedʼ or excluded through no fault of their own.”

In the letter to schools the group urges head teachers to withdraw any scheme that might be seen to encourage discrimination or bullying and asks what safeguards have been put in place to prevent discrimination against children whose attendance is affected by health or disability.

The group has also asked every primary school in Pembrokeshire to provide details of the schemes they run as well as how the scheme was approved by the school.

In a letter sent to all parents from Kate Evan-Hughes the director said that she supported the priority of attendance in schools as one that the authority will continue to pursue.

“Strategies which schools use to improve attendance have been used to good effect in many of our schools; however we still need to impress upon everybody who has care of a child how important it is that children attend school on a regular basis.”

She said that schemes such as On Time in School, scooter of the week, celebration assemblies, class prizes and stickers all promoted a sense of belonging and an enthusiasm for being in school ready to learn.