Meeting for Parents November 2016 Attendance Meeting for Parents November 2016

Regular and punctual attendance at school is both a legal requirement, and essential for pupils in order to maximise their educational opportunities. Penalty Notices and other sanctions will be used only where parental cooperation in this process is either absent or deemed insufficient to resolve the presenting problem. They will be used as a means to support parents to meet their responsibilities in law and where there is a reasonable expectation that their use will secure an improvement

Penalty Notices may be considered in the following circumstances:-   At least 20 sessions (10 school days) lost due to unauthorised absence in a period of no more than 10 weeks; A leave of absence that has not been approved due to exceptional circumstances during term time, of at least 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a period of no more than 5 weeks Persistent late arrival at school (after the register has closed) equivalent to 20 sessions of unauthorised absence in a period of no more than 10weeks; A child present in a public place during the first five days of exclusion without reasonable justification.

Parents will be sent a warning letter before a Penalty Notice is issued. The warning letter will indicate the period of time over which improvement is expected (typically a further 15 school days). Before making a Penalty Notice referral school staff should carry out a thorough investigation of the pupil’s circumstances, reasons for absence and have considered referring to the EI Hub for support. Following such investigations, Head teachers are expected to determine each case on its individual merits. Penalty Notices will not be issued in respect of children who are Looked After, with whom other interventions should be used. A Penalty Notice must be requested within one month of the unauthorised absence taking place, with the exception of Penalty Notices required for unauthorised holidays/leave of absence, where requests should be made within 5 school days of the child returning to school.

The County Attendance Team will issue Penalty Notices in Oxfordshire. Once issued, a Penalty Notice can only be withdrawn in the following circumstances:-   Proof has been established that the Penalty Notice was issued to the wrong person; That it ought not to have been issued i.e. it was outside the terms of this Code of Conduct; That it contains material errors.

Arrangements for payment will be detailed on the Penalty Notice.   Payment of a Penalty Notice discharges the parent/carer’s liability for the period in question and they cannot subsequently be prosecuted under other enforcement powers for the period covered by the Penalty Notice. Payment within 21 days is £60 and payment after this time, but within 28 days is £120. The County Council retains any revenue from Penalty Notices to cover the cost of administration (both collection and prosecution in the event of non-payment).