A new government law “Working Together to improve school attendance” came into effect on 19th August 2024. This has made changes to the rules about children taking unauthorised leave from school in term time.
So, for your information, please note:
Per Parent/Per Child Penalty Notices
Penalty Notices for absences will be issued per child, per parent. This means that if multiple siblings are absent during term time and the absences are unauthorised by the school, each parent will receive a separate fine for each child’s absence. Penalty Notices will be issued by the local authority, and the payment will be made directly to them. This is dealt with by the local authority’s Attendance Support Team (previously known as Education Welfare Service).
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First Offence Penalties
The first penalty notice issued to each parent in respect of a particular pupil will be charged at: £160.00 if paid with 28 days. This will be reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days.
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Second Offence (within 3 years)
A second penalty notice issued to the same parent in respect of the same pupil is charged at: A flat rate of £160.00 if paid within 28 days.
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Third Offence and any further offences (within 3 years)
A third penalty notice cannot be issued to the same parent in respect of the same child within 3 years of the date of issue of the first. In a case where the national threshold is met for a third time (or subsequent times) within those 3 years, alternative action will be taken instead. This may include prosecution leading to a criminal record or may include other tools such as one of the other attendance legal interventions.
10 Sessions (5 days) of Unauthorised Absence in a 10-week period
Penalty Notice Fines will be considered when there have been 10 sessions (which is the same as 5 days) of unauthorised absence in a 10-week period.
If you require further clarification, you can contact us on 01582 723970. The link to the Government guidance is here: https://tinyurl.com/5edcjvnb. The link to Luton Borough Council’s guidance is here: https://tinyurl.com/3chpswww.