The DFE has published new Attendance guidance for both schools and parents which came into force on 19 August 2024. 

As a school, we will do everything we can to ensure positive attendance for all children. We will work with parents and children. We will work to seek and try to overcome barriers to strong attendance. These may be discussions with class teachers, meetings with Heads of School or Executive Headteacher and in some cases with the EWO (Education Welfare Officer) linked to the school. Outlined below are the main reasons for all children to have string attendance. 

Your child’s attendance has a direct impact on their academic achievements and outcomes. There has been a link made between the two for many years so this is not new. However, there is now a much more concerted effort from the DFE to ensure parents and schools work together to ensure attendance is the strongest and highest it can be.

These images show the impact on percentage of days missed throughout the year and the number of lessons of learning missed.

Any attendance below 95% will be alerted and will be shared with parents. This includes lateness marks which are after the register has closed. These sessions are marked as unauthorised absence regardless of whether the children are in school or not. You will receive a phone call or a face to face chat with a member of the leadership team to discuss any barriers to attendance.  Of course, children will become ill and have to have time off school, however we do need to build up resilience to manage this. We will continue to expect parents to let us know when children are ill and the 48-hour rule regarding sickness and diarrhea apply.

We will ring parents if we have not heard from them if the children are in school on the first day and then every other subsequent day until they return unless parents ring school to update.

Once children’s attendance falls below 90% then this will trigger attendance meetings with Mr Smith. These will look at the effects of the absence on the children’s learning and how the school may be able to support with any barriers and reasons for the absences.

We hope that this doesn’t not occur. However, if absences persistent then the school will discuss the children’s absence with the EWO (Education Welfare Officer) and arrange further meetings with parents and the EWO, Lucy Pass.

 

There are also new guidelines and rules regarding extended time off from school and fines as a result, usually due to term time absence due to holidays.

There will be a single consistent national threshold for when a penalty notice must be considered by all schools in England of 10 sessions (usually equivalent to 5 school days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling 10 school week period. The 10-school week period can span different terms or school years.

Who may be fined?

Penalty notices may be issued to each parent who allows their child to be absent from school. However, they should usually only be issued to the parent or parents who have allowed the absence (regardless of which parent has applied for a leave of absence).

Penalty Notices can be issued when there have been 10 unauthorised absences (1 school day = 2 sessions, 5 school days = 10 sessions). The threshold can be met with any combination of unauthorised absence within 10 school weeks. Penalty Notices are issued for any term-time or irregular absences that are unauthorised (for example, a 5-day term-time holiday) - whether these absences are taken consecutively or cumulatively over a period of 10 school weeks.

First Penalty notice

The first Penalty Notice is issued for term time absences or irregular absences, the amount will be:

• £80 per parent, per child (if paid within 21 days of issue)
• £160 per parent, per child (if paid after 21 days but within 28 days of issue)

No. of parents	No. of children	Fine amount up to 21 days	Fine amount after 21 days but within 28 days
1	1	£80	£160
1	2	£160	£320
2	3	£480	£960

 

Second Penalty notice

The second Penalty Notice is issued for term time absences or irregular absences, issued to the same parent for the same child, the amount will be:

• £160 per parent, per child (if paid within 28 days). This is a flat rate. There is no discount for early payment.

No. of parents	No. of children	Fine amount up to 21 days	Fine amount up to 28 days
1	1	Not applicable	£160
1	2	Not applicable	£320
2	3	Not applicable	£960

 

Further offences

The third time an offence is committed for unauthorised term time or irregular absences within 3 years by the same parent for the same child (including those from other schools or Local Authorities) may result in an automatic request for Prosecution.

Education Act: 1996: It is your responsibility as the parent/carer to ensure your child’s school attendance is on a regular basis and if you fail to do this without good cause, you are liable to prosecution. If found guilty of this offence you could be liable to, amongst other things, a fine of up to £2500 and/or a custodial sentence of up to 3 months.

For more information on this issue please read the South Gloucestershire parental guidance on Penalty Notices at the following link: www.southglos.gov.uk/education-and-learning/schools-and-education/behaviour-and-attendance/school-attendance/authorised-and-unauthorised-absence-from-school/.

 

We have a new Attendance Policy which has been ratified by the governing body . Please see this below. 

If you have any questions about the new policy or guidelines please contact Mr Smith.