At Blaby Stokes, we want and expect our learners to attend school every day, unless they are really not well enough to, or there is another very good reason for their absence which is agreed by the academy. 

We believe children who attend regularly are more likely to feel settled in school, maintain friendships, keep up with their learning and gain the greatest benefit from their education. 

Attending on time every day also helps pupils form good habits which can stay with them throughout their education and on into the workplace. 

 

Support for your child in school 

Please remember we are here to help in any way we can. If you have any concerns about your child that you wish to discuss with us, please do get in touch. 

You can contact us by phoning the school office on 0116 277 2082  or email: office@bsp.learnat.uk and asking to speak to our Inclusion and Behaviour Manager, Faye or our Senior Attendance Lead, Mrs O’Hara.

 

Arriving at school on time 

Arriving at school on time is essential for learning and helps foster good timekeeping habits while reducing classroom disruption. The school gates open at 8:40 am, and a breakfast club is available from 7:30 am.

• Pupils must arrive by 8:50 am for registration.
• Late arrivals after 8:50 am will be marked as such.

Staff may meet with parents of frequently late pupils to discuss and find solutions.

 

Illness 

Students should attend school every day the school is open, unless they are really not well enough.
Please refer to Reporting an Illness or absence for more information on this. 

By law, schools must record all pupil absences and whether the absence is authorised or unauthorised. 

 

Medical and dental appointments 

Please try to avoid medical and dental appointments in school time. If this is unavoidable, arrange appointments so the minimum school time is lost. Unless it is an emergency appointment, parents/carers are expected to let the school know about the appointment in advance, with evidence of the appointment.  Your child should still attend school for as much of the school day as possible. 

 

Absence follow up 

The school will follow up any pupil absences where the parent/carer has not contacted us to explain why, or where we are unclear about the reason for their absence. 

If you fail to notify us of the reason for your child’s absence, it will be recorded as unauthorised. 

Where the school has cause for concern about the actual reason for a pupil’s absence, staff may seek more information or evidence from parents/carers, and/or make a home visit to check the reason. 

Unauthorised absences may result in a penalty notice or prosecution. 

  

Important reminder about term time leave 

Attending school every day helps children and young people maximise their learning and enjoy the benefits of their education. It really does make a difference. For that reason, the school will not authorise any leave of absence in term time, unless satisfied the reason is exceptional. 

Families are asked to request permission for absences in advance, preferably with at least four weeks' notice using the Leave of Absence request form.

Applications should be made by the parent or carer the child lives with. Discussing plans with the school beforehand is encouraged to ensure informed decisions.

Family emergencies should be considered carefully, as missing school may not always be in the child's best interests.

It's crucial for the school to know children's whereabouts for safety reasons; unknown absences will trigger safeguarding procedures.

Families are reminded that unauthorised term time leave may result in a penalty notice or prosecution. 

To assist parents/carers in booking holidays and arranging other events, our term dates and inset days can be found here

 

Legal action for unauthorised absence – including penalty notices 

The government has made some changes to the penalty notices for unauthorised absence rules, which come into effect from 19 August 2024, in time for the new school year. 

From 19 August, if a child has at least 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in 10 school weeks, their parent/s may receive a penalty notice. (A morning or afternoon is one session; a whole school day is two sessions.) However, the government’s rules also allow for penalty notices to be issued for less unauthorised absence, in some circumstances, for example where parents appear to be avoiding the national threshold by taking several term time holidays below threshold, or for repeated absence for birthdays or other family events which the school has not authorised absence for. 

Penalty notices are issued to each parent/carer with responsibility for the child and are issued for each child with unauthorised absence. For example, if two siblings have unauthorised absence, and there are two parents/carers with responsibility for the children, four penalty notices would be issued. 

Please note:  Penalty notices are issued to parents and carers as an alternative to prosecution and are intended to prevent the need for court action. A penalty notice may not be issued if prosecution is considered a more appropriate sanction for a pupil’s unauthorised absence. 

The table below provides more information about penalty notices and other legal action for unauthorised absence. 

Penalty notices for unauthorised absence
Penalty notices are issued to parents as an alternative to prosecution and are intended to prevent the need for court action. If a pupil has frequent unauthorised absence, and/or an extended period of unauthorised absence, a prosecution may be considered, instead of a penalty notice. Penalty notices cannot be paid in instalments.
Sanction	Outcome
First penalty notice (in a 3-year rolling period)	The penalty is £80 (per parent/carer, per child) payable within 21 days, rising to £160 if paid between 22 and 28 days. (If the fine is not paid, the parent/carer may be prosecuted for the child’s unauthorised absence.)
Second penalty notice (in a 3-year rolling period)	The second time a penalty notice is issued to the same parent for the same childthe amount will be £160 per parent, per child (if paid within 28 days). There is no reduction in the amount if the penalty is paid early. (Again, if the fine is not paid, the parent/carer may be prosecuted.)
Prosecutions for unauthorised absence
Local authorities (LAs) are unable to issue more than two penalty notices to the same parent for the same child, in a rolling 3-year period. Should a third offence of unauthorised absence for the same child be committed during the 3 years (including where a child has moved school and fines have been issued by other LAs), the LA may prosecute the parent/carer(s). As penalty notices are an alternative to prosecution, the LA may decide to proceed straight to prosecution instead of issuing any penalty notice. If prosecuting, it is for the LA to decide whether a section 444(1) or section 444(1A) prosecution is most appropriate.
Sanction	Outcome
Prosecution under section 444(1) of the Education Act 1996	If found guilty, parents/carers may be fined up to £1000 and ordered to pay court costs. The court may also impose a Parenting Order.
Prosecution under section 444(1A) of the Education Act 1996	If found guilty, parents/carers may be fined up to £2500 and ordered to pay court costs.   Other court outcomes include community sentences, such as Curfew Orders, Unpaid Work (Community Payback) or a prison sentence of up to three months. The court may also impose a Parenting Order.
Education Supervision Orders (ESO)
The local authority must consider applying for an ESO (under section 36 of the Children Act 1989) before prosecuting under s444 Education Act 1996. An LA may apply for an ESO instead of, or as well as, proceeding with a prosecution. The order is placed on the child, and a supervisor from the LA is appointed by the court, to give directions to the child and their parents with a view to securing that the child is properly educated.  Parents can be prosecuted if they persistently fail to comply with a direction; if found guilty they may be fined up to £1000.

 

Senior Attendance Champion 

The Department for Education expects every school to have a Senior Attendance Champion who is responsible for leading on attendance matters across the school and liaising with pupils, parents and organisations outside the school, where needed. 

Our school’s Senior Attendance Champion is Mrs Rachel O’Hara, Head of School 

Further information 

If you have any questions about the information provided, or any other attendance related questions, please phone 0116 277 2082 and ask to speak to Mrs O’Hara