Attendance Guidance Updated

Attendance Guidance has now been published that will become mandatory from September 2024. Some new advice has been included for schools.

From September:

• Fines for absence from school will increase from £60 to £80 and that will increase to £160 if not paid within 21 days. A parent/carer can only be fined twice within three years before subsequent fines will automatically be charged at £160
• National fine thresholds will mean that schools will have to consider a fine if a pupil misses 10 sessions of unauthorized absence within a rolling ten week period
• Councils can now use the money from these fines to provide attendance support to schools
• Schools will be required to share daily attendance data with the DfE through an electronic management system
• Schools will decide whether they grant absences, but this guidance lists the scenarios this should be restricted to, it notes that leave of absence to take part in protest activity should not be granted
• Schools will be required to be particularly mindful of pupils absent due to mental or physical ill heath, special education needs and or disabilities and provide them with additional support.

The summary table of responsibilities for school attendance has also been updated. The only additional responsibility this latest guidance adds, is that for all pupils “Academy trustees and governing bodies are expected to use data to understand patterns of attendance, compare with other local schools, identify areas of progress and where greater focus is needed”