Parents are legally responsible for ensuring their children receive education in accordance with section 7 of the Education Act 1996 and, if on a school roll, that they regularly attend school.

Unexpected Absence/illness

Parents/Carers are asked to call school before 8.55am on the morning of the first day of a child's unplanned absence to convey information regarding the nature of the absence and the date of the expected return to school of the child, if known. Where the latter is hard to predict, we ask parents/carers to call on a regular basis with updates regarding their child's progress.

See parent information leaflet below

Requests for Planned Absence

Parents/Carers may need to request planned absence for pupils during the school day on rare occasions. Such absences, including those for important medical appointments, should be discussed with the school prior to the absence. Parents/Carers may be asked to provide documentary evidence eg. a hospital appointment card to confirm the need for absence during the school day.

Requests for absence from school in exceptional circumstances and Penalty Notices

You are required under the Education Act (1996) to ensure your child attends school regularly. If your child accrues 10 consecutive sessions of unauthorised absence you may be liable for a penalty notice (one days absence equals two sessions and a five day absence is equal to 10 sessions). Fines are issued for unauthorised absence of 5 or more days (10 sessions) within a 10 week period (excluding school holidays).

An unauthorised absence is any absence that the Head Teacher has not given permission for or where an explanation has not been provided by the parents.

Parents must complete a request for absence from school in exceptional circumstances form and submit this to the school, allowing for sufficient time to enable the school to consider the request and inform parents of the decision.

Where parents do not follow the school's procedures of submitting a request and simply remove their child without seeking prior approval, a warning may not be given and you may be liable for a penalty notice.

Fines are issued for unauthorised absence of 5 or more days and each school day is divided into 2 registration periods. For example, if your child is absent for one day this equals 2 sessions, and a five-day absence is equal to 10 sessions. Fines will also be considered when there have been 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a 10 week period.

• If your request is declined and you take your child out of school each person with day-to-day care of the child(ren) may be issued with a £160 penalty notice if paid within 28 days this reduces to £80 if paid within 21 days. If after 28 days the fine remains unpaid you may be summonsed to appear before Magistrates to explain why your child has unauthorised school absences and you may be liable for a fine of up to £1000.

• Where it is deemed appropriate to issue a second penalty notice within 3 years of the first penalty notice, the second penalty notice will be charged at a flat rate of £160 if paid within 28 days. If after 28 days the fine remains unpaid you may be summonsed to appear before Magistrates to explain why your child has unauthorised school absences and you may be liable for a fine of up to £1000.

• If a third penalty notice referral is received within a 3-year period, a further penalty notice fine cannot be issued and legal action will be considered.

Copies of the absence from school for exceptional circumstances request form with the information for parents, the revised referral form and the revised code of conduct can be found in the links below.

Term Time Holidays

Headteachers cannot authorise absence for the purpose of a term time holiday during term time. If parents/carers consider the time from school falls under the category of 'absence from school for exceptional circumstances', then the appropriate form should be completed and the Headteacher will discuss the matter with Education Welfare. Parents/Carers will be informed of the outcome in writing.

We advise that you do not plan for your child to be absent from school without gaining prior agreement first. Headteachers cannot retrospectively authorise absence from school under any circumstance.

 

	Absence from School Request Form	[pdf 602KB]
	New Penalty Notice fine Poster	[pdf 346KB]
	Parent Information Leaflet - School Absence 2023	[pdf 1MB]
	Code of Conduct	[pdf 298KB]
	Absence From School For Exceptional Circumstances Policy	[pdf 103KB]