Attendance
Your child’s attendance and punctuality are very important to us. St Kentigern’s RC Primary School believes that regular school attendance is the key to enabling children to maximise the educational opportunities available to them and become emotionally resilient, confident, and competent adults who are able to realise their full potential and make a positive contribution to their community. We will be monitoring attendance on a daily and weekly basis to ensure that all of our children are in school and reaching their targets. We very much want to work together with all of our families to help support children's attendance at school. If you would like to discuss your child's attendance further or if we can help to support you, please call the school office and ask to speak with Mrs.Murry (0161 224 6842).
New Attendance Penalty Notice (August 2024)
First Offence-The first time a Penalty Notice is issued, the amount will be £80 per parent, per child, paid within 21 days. This increases to £160 per parent, per child, if paid after day 21 until day 28. Any non-payment of the Penalty Notice may be referred to the Magistrates Court.
Second Offence - (within 3 years) - The second time a Penalty Notice is issued the amount will be £160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days. Any non-payment of the Penalty Notice may be referred to the Magistrates Court.
Third Offence and Any Further Offences (within 3 years) - The third time an offence is committed a Penalty Notice will not be issued, and the case may be presented straight to the Magistrates Court under the S.444 of the Education Act (1996) or other legal interventions considered. The Magistrate Court can order fines up to £2500 per parent, per child.
Schools have to regularly inform the Local Authority of any pupils who are regularly absent from school, have irregular attendance, or have missed 10 school days or more without the school’s permission. Schools also have a safeguarding duty, under Section 175 Education Act 2002, to investigate any unexplained absences. Attendance below 96% has a significant impact on pupil outcomes. The school will work with families to understand the barriers to attendance and provide support. Where that is not successful or is not engaged with, the law protects pupils’ right to an education and provides a range of legal interventions to formalise attendance improvement efforts, and where all other avenues have been exhausted, enforce it through prosecuting parents. Parents can be issued a Fixed Penalty Notice by the Local Authority for their child’s non-attendance.
|
Stages |
Persistent Absence |
|
Stage 1. |
Attendance monitoring letter sent explaining that medical evidence is required for further absence |
|
Stage 2. |
If further unauthorised absence is accrued, a home visit would be conducted, and/or an attendance meeting will be held in school with an offer of early help. |
|
Stage 3. |
If a parent/carer attends the meeting, an attendance parenting contract is put in place at this stage. If the parent does not attend the meeting, a letter is sent outlining concerns and parental expectations. |
|
Stage 4. |
Attendance is monitored and if further unauthorised absences are accrued, a warning letter will be sent to the parents warning of legal sanctions. |
|
Stage 5. |
If all interventions have failed, and the criteria for a Penalty Notice have been met, then this will be submitted to the Local Authority. Additional home visits may be conducted if the child is absent by the attendance officer if the school hasn’t had a reason for absence. |
If your child arrives late to school, their learning begins to suffer. Below is a graph that shows how being late to school every day over a school year adds up to lost learning time.
