Ahead of back-to-school season, the Government have warned that new rules and fines are being put in place regarding kids' attendance - these are the six changes parents need to know about.
Back-to-school season is looming, with many parents preparing their kids by buying new school essentials (and saving money when doing so with these clever tips) and setting them up for success with Dr Becky top tips for avoiding tricky back-to-school transitions.
But as well as kids getting prepared, parents need to do so too as new rules and regulations regarding attendance are set to be enforced come September - and parents could face hefty fines for breaking them.
As has always been the case, there are still five acceptable reasons for a child's absence from school; if they are ill, if parents asked in advance and were given permission for the absence, on religious observance days, due to local authority transport disruptions, or traveler families who are required to travel for work on a particular day. And while these absences are still completely ok, the punishments for those not on the list have been changed and the new government guidance is much harsher.
1. Increased fines. Currently, if an absence for something not on that list occurs, parents can expect to be fined £60. However, the fine has now increased to £80 and parents who get more than two fines for their kids' absence within a three-year period will be automatically charged £160 and could even be prosecuted, leading to a possible fine of up to £2,500.
2. Fines for being late. As of September, being late will now also be considered as an absence. If a child misses 10 'sessions,' which is the equivalent of five school days, over a 10 week period, their parent can be fined for the absence.
3. Sharing attendance data. Schools will also, if they haven't already, need to start sharing their attendance data daily with the government come September so they can monitor how they are dealing with absences, meaning that fines will be rigidly enforced.
4. No time off for 'protest activity'. While it has long been an individual school choice as to whether or not to grant an absence to a pupil, the government have now enforced a new rule that will prohibit the approving of absences for pupils who want time off to take part in protest activity during school hours.
5. No fines for long-term sickness absence. There are also rules to avoid undue fines being handed out as well as those rules enforcing the use of fines. One such rule pertains to children with long-term illnesses, with schools now having to provide their local authorities with the name and address of any sick pupils who they believe may miss 15 consecutive or cumulative days to avoid fines being handed out.
6. Authorised absences for children with mental health needs, special educational needs and disabilities. Another of these rules regards children's mental health, with schools being encouraged to be handle absences due to mental health, special educational needs or disabilities mindfully and to provide additional support for these pupils where they can.
Reports of these new fines follow the shocking news that parents are being ‘fined, prosecuted even imprisoned' for unauthorised school absences and that the number of cases is going up exponentially. Knowing that, it's no surprise that parents have been vocal about why this latest government scheme to increase school attendance has left them enraged. If you're worried about school fines for holidays in particular, this is everything you need to know about the new rules for parents who take their children out of school for holidays.
