Attendance Matters

Nottinghamshire County Council have agreed to amend the threshold for the issuing of an Educational Penalty Notice to the following;

Persistent Absence

Once a child has reached 6 sessions/3 days unauthorised absence over a rolling 6 week period, the academy can issue a warning letter. The letter will make it clear that any further absence may result in the issuing of an Educational Penalty Notice to each parent for each child to whom persistent absence applies.

The duration of the warning letter will be 12 weeks from issue and the academy will monitor this.

If the unauthorised absence rises to 10 sessions/5 days over a rolling 6 week period then the academy can ask the Local Authority to issue Educational Penalty Notices to the parents.

In these cases the Local Authority will also consider what services or measures may be required to prevent or reduce further unauthorised absence

There are two types of absence:

AUTHORISED (where school approves student absence)

Acceptable reasons for absence are:

• Illness
• Medical appointment that cannot be made outside of school hours
• A day set aside for religious observance

UNAUTHORISED (where school will not approve absence)

Unacceptable reasons for absence are:

• Headache                              
• Birthday
• Shopping
• Minding the house or younger siblings
• Overslept
• School uniform is in the wash
• Visiting friends or relatives

If your child is absent, you must call or E mail the academy on the first day and everyday thereafter, stating the reason why your child is not able to attend.  We will then decide whether to authorise the absence or not, if we do not authorise the absence, you will be informed.

Phone: 01777 713700 (select option 2 and follow the instructions)
Email: attendance@elizabethan.notts.sch.uk (student absences only)

Holidays during School Term Time

If the academy has evidence that a parent has removed a child from the academy for the purposes of a holiday during term time, without authorisation, and the level of absence is above 6 sessions/3 days in total over a rolling 6 week period then the academy can request the Local Authority to issue an Educational Penalty Notices to the parents

The Educational Penalty Notice is set at £120 and is to be paid within 42 days, it reduces to £60 if paid within 28 days and the fine is issued to both parents.