Education attendance: information for parents and carers

Parent guide: school attendance

This guide provides key information from the 2024 'Working Together to Improve School Attendance' guidance. It explains your responsibilities as a parent, what counts as authorised absence, how illness is handled, and what support is available for children with special educational needs (SEND) or long-term illness.

Your legal responsibilities for school attendance

As a parent or carer, you are legally responsible for making sure your child receives a suitable full-time education from the age of 5 to 16. For most families, this means ensuring your child attends school every day and on time, unless there is a valid reason for absence.

When absence is allowed

Your child can legally miss school if:

• they are too ill to attend
• you have permission from the school for a leave of absence in exceptional circumstances (for example: a family funeral)
• they are observing a religious festival
• there are transport issues and the local authority is responsible for providing transport but hasn't done so

You must contact the school on the first day of absence to explain why your child is not in school. If you don't, the school will follow up to find out the reason.

If attendance is poor

If your child misses too much school without a valid reason, the school and local authority will offer support to help improve attendance. If this support is not accepted or doesn't work, legal action may follow, including:

• a Penalty Notice (fines of £160 per parent/per child if paid within 28 days - this reduces to £80 if paid within 21 days)
• prosecution in court, which could lead to a fine of up to £2,500 or even imprisonment in serious cases 

What you should do

• always talk to your child's school if there are problems affecting attendance
• work with the school and other services to remove barriers
• keep records of medical appointments or other reasons for absence
• ask for help early - the school and the local authority are there to support you

Support for attendance

If your child is struggling to attend due to issues at school or home, speak to the school first. They will work with you to identify barriers and create a support plan. This may include early help, attendance contracts, or referrals to other services.

Support for Children with SEND or Long-Term Illness

Children with long-term illness or SEND have the same right to education as any other child. Schools must make reasonable adjustments and provide pastoral care.

If your child is absent for more than 15 days due to illness, your child may be eligible for alternative education under Section 19 of The Education Act 1996. Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 places a duty on local authorities to arrange suitable education for children who cannot attend school due to illness, exclusion, or other reasons. This means they must provide alternative education, whether in a school or another setting, if a child is not receiving an appropriate education otherwise.

It is usually best if this provision is through the school they are enrolled at to allow for successful reintegration, a continued relationship with the school and an appropriate curriculum. Please contact mts@westberks.gov.uk for more information.  A graduated response is often the most appropriate approach to illness absence, with support from medical professionals to guide and advise the school of reasonable adjustments so the child can attend as much as possible. See supporting pupils with medical conditions at school guidance on GOV.UK.

Please contact your school in the first instance to discuss long-term medical issues.

Early help services

Visit the pages below to find out more about support services:

• Mental Health and Wellbeing in Schools
• SEND Local Offer and Family Information Service
• Contact the School Exclusions Team
• About the Contact, Advice and Assessment Service (CAAS)
• Family Hubs

Attendance Support Plans

An Attendance Support Plan (ASP) is a structured, formal agreement between a school, the parent or carer, and sometimes the pupil, aimed at improving a child's school attendance. It is used when a pupil's attendance is a concern and earlier voluntary support has not been effective or appropriate.

The plan outlines the specific barriers to attendance, sets clear expectations, and identifies the support that will be provided to help the pupil attend regularly. This might include mentoring, adjustments to the school day, or referrals to external services. Although not legally binding, the ASP is a collaborative tool that helps everyone stay accountable and focused on solutions.

It is reviewed regularly to track progress and adjust support as needed.