Term Dates

Absences from 19 August 2024

Please find below important information regarding increased penalty fines for unauthorised absence for holidays in term time and other changes. Changes to the law were introduced through the Education (Penalty Notices) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 and came into effect from 19 August 2024

As a school we are obliged to inform you that you may be subject to a Penalty Notice if your child’s absence from school is unauthorised. This is in line with Staffordshire County Councils Code of Conduct and the “Working Together to Improve School attendance” statutory guidance (effective 19 August 2024). The penalties for unauthorised leave of absence in term time will be:

For a First offence the Penalty Notice fine would be: 

• £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days, rising to
• £160 per parent, per child if paid between 21-28 days.

For a Second offence within 3-years of the first penalty notice being issued, the penalty notice fine would be:

• £160 per parent, per child if paid between 28 days.

Following the second offence every new offence within the 3-year period, will be prosecuted under S444.1 of the Education Act 1996. I must advise you that if the prosecution takes place, the maximum fine is £1,000 per parent, per child. This reflects the seriousness of unauthorised absence from school.

We would strongly urge all parents to be aware of these changes and the implications for significantly increased penalty fines if pupils are absent from school during term time for holidays or other unauthorised reasons.

 

Template letter – unauthorised absence for holidays / suspected absence for holidays

We have also been provided with a new template letter to accompany any requests for term time absence as well as a template letter to be sent to parents for suspected holidays during term time.