It is your responsibility to read this information:
Taking your child out of school during term time, whether for holidays or other reasons, can disrupt their education and may lead to unauthorised absences. If your child misses 10 or more sessions (5 days) without agreement, this could result in a penalty notice from the Local Authority. This applies to both term-time holidays and persistent non-attendance without a valid reason. Please speak to the school if you're unsure or need support with attendance.

As part of our commitment to maintaining high levels of school attendance, we would like to inform you about some important changes regarding holidays/leave of absences in Term Time. These changes align with the Department for Education (DFE) updated guidance on improving school attendance, effective from 19th August 2024 in collaboration with the Local Authority.

The DFE emphasises that term-time holiday/leave of absences should be avoided. Absences during this time can significantly impact your child’s education. We kindly request that you plan holidays/leave of absences during school holidays to minimise disruption in learning. Any such absences will be recorded as an unauthorised absence.

If you believe there are exceptional circumstances that require a term-time holiday/leave of absence, please submit a written request to the school as soon as possible. We will assess each case individually and provide guidance accordingly. However, if we determine that the circumstances do not qualify as exceptional, we will notify you in writing, indicating that you may be subject to a penalty notice issued by the local authority, which could result in legal action, please see below.

 

Penalty notices and Prosecution.
A Penalty Notice issued for unauthorised absences is 5 days (10 sessions) with in a 10 week period.
A Penalty Notice can be issued under the following legislation:

• Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 places upon parents a duty to ensure that their child receives efficient full-time education either by regular attendance at school or otherwise
• Where a child is a registered pupil at a school and the parent fails to ensure that child’s regular attendance at school the parent is liable to be prosecuted for a criminal offence under Section 444 of the Education Act
• In cases where this duty is not being fulfilled Section 444B of the same Act empowers the Local Authority to issue a Penalty

See below for further information:

Penalty Notice	Details
First Notice in a 3 year period:	Issued to each parent. Charged at £80 if paid within 21 days £160 if paid within 28 days.
Second Notice in a 3 year period:	Issued to each parent. Charged at a flat rate of £160 if paid within 28 days.
Third Notice in a 3 year period:	Alternative action should be taken, for example prosecution or other attendance legal interventions. Fines per parent are capped at two within any three-year period. If a parent is prosecuted for their child’s non-attendance, they could face a magistrates court appearance and a fine of up to £2,500 and/or prison. Cases found guilty in Magistrates’ Court can show on a Parents future DBS certificate, due to failure to safeguard a child’s education.

It is important to note that fines are a last resort, and parents are offered support from the school regarding attendance concerns and are discouraged from taking holidays in term time. It is also important to note that if there are also attendance concerns, then further action can be taken in the form of Penalty Notices for persistent/non-attendance unauthorised absences. Please refer to our attendance policy (below) for more information. 

Thank you for your cooperation in ensuring that your child’s education remains a priority. If you have any questions, or you would like any support with the attendance of your child, feel free to contact the Headteacher.