Tuesday 8th September
• Why the school policy has changed
• How we record attendance and
punctuality
• Warning Letters and Penalty Notices
• How these are triggered
• Unauthorised holidays
• Hampshire wanted consistency across its schools
• Government believes that children are entitled to access to
education and school
• To tackle regular small absences and lateness
• Move from 85% to 90% as the minimum level of acceptable
attendance
• Link between attendance and performance
• Reduce levels of disruption to the child and the learning of
others
• Historic perception of a 10 day ‘entitlement’ to holidays in term
time
• Pupils with poor attendance often become vulnerable
• Policy went through a trial and consultation period
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said:
• The myth that pulling a child out of school for a
holiday is harmless to their education has been busted
by this research. Today heads across the country have
been vindicated - missing school can have a lasting
effect on a pupil’s life chances.
• This is why we are doing all we can to encourage
more pupils back into class by toughening up on termtime holidays and attendance. Heads and teachers
are now firmly back in charge of their classrooms
thanks to our plan for education and new flexibility
over term dates allow them to set term breaks outside
of peak times.
New DfE release ‘Achievement & Attendance’
New DfE release ‘Achievement & Attendance’ KS2
L – late before register closes at 9.20
U – late after register closes, 9.21 and beyond
M – medical (doctors/dentist)
I – illness (phone call/letter/email)
P – approved sporting activities
C – other approved absences (visiting new school/funeral)
O – other unapproved absences or no reason given
G – unauthorised holiday
H – authorised holiday
R - religious
• A warning letter should always precede a penalty notice
• There is a warning on all absence request forms that counts as
the warning letter
• Publication of formal testing dates counts as the warning letter
• PN can be issued by school, LA or police
• Only x2 PN in a 12 month period – no improvement will require
additional LA involvement, such as court order
• PN - £60 per child per parent if paid in 21days
• PN – rises to £120 per child per parent up to 28 days
• School can recommend where only one parent is given the PN
• No right of appeal – only if error is proven
• Persistently arrived late for code U (after 9.20) for 10
sessions out of 100
• Persistently late before the close of the register (code L)
but the school has met with the parents and clearly
communicated that any further lateness will be
unauthorised (code O)
• Where a pupil has been absent for 10 or more
unauthorised sessions out of 100 sessions (10 weeks)
• Missed any public examinations/formal tests where the
dates have been published by the school in advance
• These are classified as being against the law
by the government
• Only to be unauthorised in ‘exceptional
circumstances’
• The HT makes the decision if the circumstances
are exceptional or not
Request for Leave of Absence:
The fundamental principles for defining ‘exceptional’ are rare,
significant, or unavoidable which means the event could not
reasonably be scheduled at another time. There are no rules on
this as circumstances vary from school to school and family to
family. There is, however, no legal entitlement for time off in school
time to go on holiday and in the majority of cases holiday will
not be authorised. Parents/Carers wishing to apply for leave of
absence need to fill in an application form … in advance and
before making any travel arrangements.
• Academies can set their own attendance
policies
• We have been given the option to change
term times
• Blocking INSET days
• Summer picnic