Penalty Notices

The headteacher (or someone authorised by them), local authority or the police can fine parents for the unauthorised absence of their child from school, where the child is of compulsory school age, by issuing a penalty notice. 

If the school issues a penalty notice, it will check with the local authority before doing so and send it a copy of any penalty notice issued.

Before issuing a penalty notice, the school will consider the individual case, including:

• Whether the national threshold for considering a penalty notice has been met (10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a rolling period of 10 school weeks)
• Whether a penalty notice is the best available tool to improve attendance for that pupil
• Whether further support, a notice to improve or another legal intervention would be a more appropriate solution
• Whether any obligations that the school has under the Equality Act 2010 make issuing a penalty notice inappropriate

A penalty notice may also be issued where parents allow their child to be present in a public place during school hours without reasonable justification, during the first 5 days of a suspension or exclusion (where the school has notified the parents that the pupil must not be present in a public place on that day).

Each parent who is liable for the pupil’s offence(s) can be issued with a penalty notice, but this will usually only be the parent/parents who allowed the absence.

The payment must be made directly to the local authority, regardless of who issues the notice. If the payment has not been made after 28 days, the local authority can decide whether to prosecute or withdraw the notice.

• If issued with a first penalty notice, the parent must pay £80 within 21 days, or £160 within 28 days.
• If a second penalty notice is issued to the same parent in respect of the same pupil, the parent must pay £160 if paid within 28 days.
• A third penalty notice cannot be issued to the same parent in respect of the same child within 3 years of the date of the issue of the first penalty notice. In a case where the national threshold is met for a third time within those 3 years, alternative action will be taken instead.

What is classed as persistent absence?

Persistent absence is classed as any absence that equates to over 10% of the academic year at any given time. Severely persistent absence is classed as any absence that equates to over 50% of the academic year at any given time. Any pupil who appears on the school’s persistent absence list may be formally monitored by Surrey County Council’s School Attendance Support Team.

At Pyrcroft Grange any pupil with attendance of 90% and below is monitored on a weekly basis and the school will communicate with parents, to identify possible barriers to attending school every day.

What should I do if my child is late to school?

Please ring the school office if there is a valid reason, for example a medical appointment so the school is aware why your child will arrive late. Please show medical appointment card on arrival.

At Pyrcroft Grange Primary School class doors open at 8.30am for Year 5 and 6, 8.40 Years 1 to 4 and 8.45am for Reception.

Registers will open at 8.40am for Year groups 1 to 6 and close at 9.10am

5 minutes late every day means missing 3 days of school every year.

• Once class gates/doors are closed (8.50am) parents/carers MUST bring their children into reception and parents will be required to give a reason for lateness on the school signing in system.
• This will be coded as ‘L’ in the school register.
• Late arrivals are disruptive to the whole class and can be unsettling for a child
• If your child is late after registers close at 9.10 a.m. their attendance will be marked down and coded as unauthorised absence (shown as a ‘U’ on registration certificates). This mark shows them to be on site but is legally recorded as an absence

• Persistent lateness will lead to a meeting with the school’s designated senior leader for attendance to discuss the barriers to arriving at school on time and discuss a positive way forward. If there is no improvement over time, a meeting will be arranged with the local authority’s Attendance Advice Officer. U codes are unauthorised and fines from Surrey County Council may be issued if a parent doesn’t engage with strategies to improve punctuality and the pupil reaches 10 or more unauthorised sessions in a rolling period of 10 school weeks

• If a pupil is late due to a medical appointment, they will receive an authorised absence coded M. Proof of medical appointment should be shown to the school office. Please be advised where possible medical appointments are to be made outside of school hours or during school holidays