Attendance

t is important that parents/carers understand why attendance is so important along with the government expectations to all education providers.

The Department of Education guidance was published (Working together to improve school attendance (applies from 19 August 2024) (publishing.service.gov.uk)), which has provided parental and school expectations. One of the responsibilities school has is ensuring we are sharing your child/ren’s attendance data when it falls under the national expectation of 95%. We are very aware of each child’s reasons for absence, and we want to reassure all our families that we are following Government guidelines along with ensuring we continue to do this in a supportive manner for the best possible outcomes for the children.

The table below shows the number of days absence over a year that equate to each percentage absence.

Percentage Attendance

Approximate number of days absent (per year)

95%

10 x days; 20 x sessions (2 x weeks)

90%

19 x days; 38 x sessions (nearly 4 x weeks)

85%

29 x days; 58 x sessions (nearly 6 x weeks)

Within this Government guidance it sets out the new National Framework for issuing penalty notices and reflects the changes to the law introduced through the Education (Penalty Notices) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 see page 56 for further information.

Penalty Notice

Details

First Penalty Notice in a 3-year period:

Issued to each parent/carer.

Charged at £80 if paid within 21 days.

£160 if paid within 28 days.

Second Penalty Notice in a 3-year period:

Issued to each parent/carer.

Charged at a flat rate of £160 if paid within 28 days.

Third Penalty Notice in a 3-year period:

Alternative action should be taken, for example, prosecution or other attendance legal interventions.

Fines per parent/carer are capped at two within any three-year period.

If a parent/carer are for their child’s non-attendance, they could face a magistrate’s court appearance and a fine of up to £2,500 and/or prison.

If you have any questions or queries about attendance, please speak to Mrs Robinson or Mrs Wilson who will be happy to discuss it with you further.

Working together to improve school attendance – GOV.UK

Resources for families | Children’s Commissioner for England