Attendance Matters

We want to take this opportunity to give you a few facts and figures to help support you in looking at your child's attendance this year.

100% attendance - Your child has been in school every day

98% attendance - Your child missed 4 school days

96% - Your child missed 7 school days

94% - Your child missed 11 school days

90% attendance = 4 weeks missed per year

80% attendance = more than half a term missed per year.

70% attendance = more than a quarter of the school year missed.

An average attendance of 80% or less across a child’s school career adds up to missing a whole 2 years from school.

Being late for school reduces learning time.

If your child is 5 minutes late every day they will miss three days of learning each year.

If your child is 15 minutes late every day they will miss 2 weeks of learning each year.

Why is it important for children not to miss school?

All parents and carers want the best for their children and for them to get on well in life.

Having a good education is important to ensure that they have the best opportunities in their adult life. They only get one chance at school, and your child’s future may be affected by not attending school regularly. If children do not attend school regularly they may:

- Struggle to keep up with school work. In a busy school day it is difficult for schools to find the extra time to help a child catch up. - Miss out on the social side of school life. Poor attendance can affect children’s ability to make and keep friendships; a vital part of growing up.

Setting good attendance patterns from an early age, from nursery through primary school will also help your child later on in their life. Children who have a poor school attendance record may have less chance of securing a job when they are adults.

Being on time is also vital. Arriving late at school can be very disruptive for your child, their teacher and the other children in the class. Some parents may be finding it difficult to ensure that their child attends school regularly.

Fixed Penalty Notice

Below is some important information regarding Fixed Penalty Notices for unauthorised absences

Just to remind parents/carers that if you take your child/children out of school without authority for 5 or more days (which do not have to be consecutive), then the following will apply:

1. If you have not incurred a penalty notice relating to this child/children in a rolling 3 year period since 19 August 2024, then the penalty notice will be charged at the rate of £160.00, per parent/carer per child, if paid within 28 days. This will be reduced to £80.00 if paid within 21 days of receipt of the notice. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in LBRUT Council considering legal proceedings against you in the Magistrates Court.

2. If you have incurred a penalty notice relating to this child/children since 19 August 2024, the rolling 3 year period will be activated from the date of the first penalty notice and the second penalty notice will be charged at the flat rate of £160.00, per parent/carer per child, if paid within 28 days. There will be no reduction for payment within 21 days. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in LBRUT Council considering legal proceedings against you in the Magistrates Court.

3. If you have incurred 2 penalty notices relating to this child/children in the rolling 3 year period since the first penalty notice was issued, then you will NOT receive a third penalty notice – LBRUT Council will have no option but to consider a prosecution, per parent/carer per child, in the Magistrates Court under s 444 Education Act 1996.