Attendance
Good attendance at school is vital in order that children have the best possible chance to succeed. We work with parents to secure excellent outcomes for the attendance of children. Please see below the policies and expectations regarding attendance and punctuality.
Term Time Leave of Absence
By law, maintained schools cannot authorise any leave in term time other than in exceptional circumstances. Taking a child out of school in term time will affect their education and progress as much as any other absence. If leave is being requested that involves travel or accommodation, approval must be obtained from the headteacher before making any bookings. Due to the need to evidence exceptional circumstances, parents are advised to provide school with any relevant information regarding their request at the point of application if they believe the circumstances are exceptional.
On the 19th August 2024 new Penalty Notice arrangements came into force, with changes to the cost of a Penalty Notice and to the thresholds at which Penalty Notices may be requested by school. The DfE now requires that schools must consider if a Penalty Notice is appropriate when the thresholds are met. The changes to be aware of are:
Penalty Notices issued for offences after the 19th August 2024 will be charged at £160 per parent, per child. This will reduce to £80 if paid within 21 days.
Any second penalty notice issued to the same parent for the same child within a rolling 3-year period will be issued at the rate of £160 to be paid within 28 days with no option for a discounted rate.
The threshold at which a penalty notice must be considered is set at 10 sessions (equivalent to 5 days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling 10-school week period. This may include absences as a result of arriving late after the register closes. The 10 school weeks may span different terms or consecutive school years.
A maximum of two penalty notices may be issued to a parent for the same child within a rolling 3-year period, so at the 3rd (or subsequent) offence(s) another course of action will need to be considered (such as prosecution or one of the other attendance legal interventions).
If a school requests a penalty notice for absences other than unauthorised holidays, including being late after the register has closed, the local authority School Attendance Legal Team may issue a Notice to Improve to parents. A Notice to Improve is a final opportunity for parents to engage in support and improve attendance before a penalty notice is issued. If the national threshold has been met and offers of support have not been engaged with by parents or have not worked, a Notice to Improve may be issued to give parents a final chance to engage with support and improve their child's attendance. The code of conduct for penalty notices and information and FAQs for parents can be found on the Lancashire County Council education penalty notice webpage.
The more time a child misses school, the more difficult it is for them to catch up with their work. Valuable learning time is lost. A good understanding of the work can only take place when the pupil is in the classroom every day.