Overview
Improving attendance is everyone’s business. The barriers to accessing education are wide and complex, both within and beyond the school gates, and are often specific to individual pupils and families.
The Department for Education have published guidance which will be applicable from 19th August 2024 to all schools, LA’s and parents.
Regular and punctual attendance at school is both a legal requirement and essential for pupils to maximise their educational opportunities.
In recognition of this, the law makes it an offence for a parent or carer to fail to secure the regular attendance of their child at a school at which the child is a registered pupil, without good reason or the agreement of the school.
The definition of a parent is defined in section 576 of the Education Act (1996) as:
- the biological parents of a child, whether they are married or not
- any person who has parental responsibility for a child
- any person who has the care of a child i.e. lives with and looks after the child
If you are worried about your child’s attendance you should speak to your child’s school as soon as possible.
Every school will have a clear policy on school attendance including the procedure of how lateness is dealt with, sickness is recorded and supporting children who struggle to attend school regularly or who may experience difficulties when they are in school.
