‘Everyday counts!’
At Hacton, we recognise the importance of excellent attendance and as a school we are committed to working in partnership with families to find supportive routes to improve attendance.
For children to achieve their best and reach their potential, we need them to be in school, every day and on time. The expectation is that all children should be in school every day and on time so that no learning opportunities are lost. The law states that pupils must attend every day, unless there are exceptional circumstances, and it is the headteacher, not the parent, who can authorise the absence. I would encourage you to think very carefully before keeping your child off school and reflect on the impact that the time off may have on the progress your child will make academically.
There is now a single consistent national threshold for when a penalty notice must be considered by all schools in England, of 10 sessions (usually equivalent to 5 school days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling 10 school week period. The 10 sessions of absence do not have to be consecutive and can be made up of a combination of any type of unauthorised absence.
The 10 school week period can span different terms, school years or education settings.
• First Offence – The first time a Penalty Notice is issued for Term Time Leave or Irregular Attendance the amount will be: £160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days. Reduced to £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days.
• Second Offence (within 3 years) – The second time a Penalty Notice is issued for Term Time Leave or Irregular Attendance the amount will be: £160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days.
• Third Offence and Any Further Offences (within 3 years) – The third time an offence is committed for Term Time Leave or Irregular Attendance a Penalty Notice will not be issued, and the case will be presented straight to the Magistrates’ Court.
Full details of all of the changes can be found by visiting the Government webpage:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance
Reporting Illness
If your child is unable to attend school due to illness, please ensure that you have contacted the school office before registration has closed either by email, edulink or telephone (phone lines open at 8.00 am). If communication has not been received then an unauthorised absence will be recorded.