Attendance

Updates to Statutory Attendance Guidance

Dear Parents and Carers,

The Department for Education (DfE) have introduced new attendance guidance for schools for managing and supporting school attendance. They have also introduced a new national framework for penalty notices and amended the law. These changes came into effect from the 19 August 2024 and all schools across the country are expected to follow the new statutory guidance. I would like to draw your attention to some of the key information below from the guidance and also some of our school expectations and procedures.

Our Expectations

At St Agnes CE Primary school we aim for children to achieve at least 96.6% attendance for a full school year. There are clear links between poor attendance and poor attainment. If children are absent from school, they may miss key learning opportunities resulting in gaps in their knowledge and understanding. This can significantly impact upon their learning and development as well as their relationships and emotional wellbeing.

Support First

The importance of regular attendance at school cannot be stressed enough. We will promote school attendance and provide support when a student is struggling to attend school. This may mean that we raise the issue of attendance even if your child has only had a couple of days off ill. This is not because we don’t believe you. By working with you, the school can step in early to help to prevent patterns of absence developing. We may identify other underlying issues that are making your child reluctant to attend school and be able to help you and your child. For this to be successful we would ask you to support and work with the school.

National Framework for Penalty Notices

To provide consistency, the Government have introduced a new national framework for schools and Local Authorities. All schools are now required to consider a fine when a child has missed 10 sessions (5 school days) for unauthorised reasons. Fines are issued by the Local Authority and with effect from August 2024, the fine for school absences for each parent will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days. In the case of repeated fines, if a parent receives a second fine for the same child within any three year period, this will be charged at the higher rate of £160.

Fines per parent will be capped at two fines within any three-year period. Once this limit has been reached, other action such as a parenting order or prosecution will be considered.

Absences Due to Illness

If your child is too ill to attend school, you should inform the school office by phone (0161 224 6829) or by email (admin@st-agnes.manchester.sch.uk) by 9.15am. Schools have a duty to safeguard all children when they should be in school. If you do not inform us of the reason that your child is absent, we will try to make contact with you and then any other contacts listed if not successful. If we are still unable to make contact, we may attempt to conduct a home visit, or as a last result, may contact the police or Children’s Services to request a welfare check. If your child has 5 or more days off school, you should provide evidence of their illness eg a doctor’s appointment print out, hospital discharge letter or copy of a prescription, in order for the absence to be authorised. It is unlikely that a child would be ill enough to be absent for 5 or more days without a medical practitioner being consulted.

Term Time Holidays/extended absences

Students should not be taken out of school during term time unless it is unavoidable and cannot be done at another time eg a school holiday. A family holiday or visiting relatives abroad is not an acceptable reason for a child to miss school. If a student is absent for 5 days or more then the school is expected to refer the matter for the consideration of a Penalty Notice being issued by the Local Authority.

The school may take the pupil off the school’s roll in compliance with the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2013. This means that the child will lose their school place where tehre are absences of 20 days or more.

Leave will be unauthorised except for in a small number of specific or exceptional circumstances.

If you are worried about any aspect of your child’s attendance, please speak with their class teacher or Miss Oven, our Attendance Officer. We are here to explore what support can be provided to help your child to attend school regularly.

Yours sincerely

Mr Uddin

Please refer to our Attendance Policy for further information.

This data sheet explains the importance of attendance. Remember our target is 96.6%!