Attendance

Attendance Matters!

We pride ourselves on the excellent attendance and punctuality of all of our families, we see poor attendance as a Safeguarding Concern.

Last year (23/24), our attendance dipped to 94% . Our school target is 96%. The main reason for this was term time holidays. We have high expectations for attendance for all children. You might spot our attendance stars on newsletters or in assemblies! We display these when everybody is in our class - five to nine - right on time!

If a child's attendance falls below 95% the family will be contacted by the Head Teacher. Below 90% is classed by the local authority as persistently absent. There will be a half term monitoring period during which time we would expect attendance to improve.

If there are no improvements families will be invited into school to meet with the Head Teacher where improvement targets will be set. We may support families with a number of strategies including Early Help, School Nurse support or other outside agencies. Persistent Absence plans, Attendance Panels and Legal Frameworks are also an option.

Term time holidays cannot be authorised and families may be eligible for a fine from the Local Authority if they take their children out of school.

Families who are persistently late may also be eligible for a fine. Our gate closes at 8:55 am.

Absence due to sickness will be recorded as unauthorised if we do not receive a telephone call or written information regarding your child's illness upon their return. You must phone school each day of your child's sickness absence. We may request medical evidence if time off for medical reasons is frequent.

Penalty Notices and Parental Responsibility

The School Attendance Support Service will act as the agent for Sefton Schools in carrying out the duties of the Authorised Person as detailed within this Code of Conduct.

Penalty Notices may be issued to each parent liable for the offence. These provisions apply to all parents who fall within the definition of a 'parent' as set out in section 576 of the Education Act 1996. By virtue of this section 'parent' includes: all natural parents, whether they are married or not; any person or body who has parental responsibility for a child (as defined by the Children Act 1989) and any person who, although not a natural parent, has care of a child. Having care of a child means that a person with whom a child lives and who looks after a child, irrespective of what their relationship is with that child.

The Penalty

The Penalty Notice is £160 if paid within 28 days of receipt. This will be reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days of receipt.

A Penalty Notice served by post is deemed to have been received on the second day after posting if it was delivered by first class post.

2nd Penalty Notices: any second penalty notice issued to the same parent for the same child within a rolling 3-year period will be charged at a higher rate of £160 with no option for this second offence to be discharged at the lower rate of £80.

A penalty notice is an out of court settlement. A parent shall not be issued with more than two Penalty Notices resulting from the unauthorised absence of an individual child within a 3-year rolling period. If a third offence is committed within the 3-year rolling period, the local authority must consider other options available to them. This will include a consideration to prosecute under section 444 of the Education Act 1996. The School Attendance Support Service will monitor the number of penalty notices issued to any parent in a 3-year rolling period.

As a school we will do all we can to support you if you find yourself in difficulty so please speak to us if you have any concerns.

St Mary's application for leave of absence