Overview
It is a legal requirement to attend school regularly and punctually. It is essential for pupils to get the most out of their school experience, including their attainment, wellbeing and wider life chances.
The law entitles every child of compulsory school age to an efficient, full-time education suitable to their age, aptitude, and any special educational need they may have.
For the most vulnerable pupils, regular attendance is also an important protective factor and the best opportunity for needs to be identified and support provided.
Children should attend school every day the school is open. The Department for Education and Skills (DfE) defines two categories of pupil enrolment absentees, based on the percentage of possible sessions missed due to absence:
- a pupil enrolment is identified as a persistent absentee if they miss 10% or more of their possible sessions
- a pupil enrolment is identified as a severe absentee if they miss 50% or more of their possible sessions
Responsibility for attendance
A parent or carer has the primary legal responsibility to ensure regular school attendance. Other people, services and organisations sharing responsibility for promoting, monitoring and improving school attendance are:
- the pupils themselves
- us, the local authority
- other services such as GPs, health professionals and the police
The barriers to accessing education are wide and complex. They can be both inside and outside the school and are often specific to individual pupils and families.
We and other partners work with, not against, families to treat the root causes of absence and remove barriers to attendance.
Acceptable reasons for absence are:
- sickness (where medical evidence has been supplied)
- unavoidable medical appointments
- religious observance
- exceptional circumstances granted by the headteacher
Unacceptable reasons for absence are:
- truancy
- holidays in term time
- shopping
- birthdays
- looking after siblings or the home
- non-urgent medical or dental appointments
- continued illness where no medical evidence has been supplied
Any unauthorised absence may result in us issuing a penalty notice.
School Attendance Support Service (SASS)
SASS monitors the attendance of referred children where either:
- attendance levels are 90% and below
- a child has been absent from school for three consecutive days and no contact has been received from the parent or carer
- unauthorised term time leave has been taken
SASS has a duty to remind parents of their legal responsibility to ensure their children are receiving and accessing the full-time and suitable education they are entitled to.
Where a parent has failed to ensure regular attendance, SASS will consider issuing a penalty notice. This is in line with the Local Code of Conduct and the National Framework for Penalty Notices.
The purpose of the penalty notice is to:
- prevent the escalation of unauthorised absences and reduce education neglect
- avoid prosecution under Section 4441(1a) of the Education Act 1996
However, in cases where irregular attendance remains a concern, legal action against the parents will be considered.
Support for parents and carers
There is a wide range of support available. SASS can offer parents and carers advice about school attendance and signpost for support to help remove the barriers to attendance.
Each school has a named officer who provides this support.
Contact us
- by email: SASSDuty@hounslow.gov.uk
- by phone: 020 8583 2622
- by post at the address below
School Attendance Support Service
Hounslow House
7 Bath Road
Hounslow
Middlesex
TW3 3EB
