Attendance Awareness

Westleigh St. Paul’s will:

• Work together with pupils and parents to provide the nest possible education
• Promote good attendance
• Register pupils and follow up non-attendance
• Monitor pupils
• Counsel pupils
• Co-ordinate support strategies for pupils
• Supervise pupils throughout the day
• Refer to Attendance Enforcement Team when necessary
• Take every action to ensure that all pupils achieve excellent attendance

Parents will:

• Make sure their child attends every day, unless to seriously ill to attend
• Make all medical appointments outside of school hours except in emergencies
• Organise family holidays during holiday periods
• Support their child in aiming for full attendance
• Contact school on the first day and each subsequent day if their child is absent from school. (contact details overleaf)
• For extended periods of absence, provide written confirmation
• Provide medical evidence of reasons for absence

Why is Education important for your child?
Having an excellent education will help to give your child the best possible start in life.
Education also ensures that your child develops the skills essential for employment in future life.

• Personal and Social Skills
• Financial capability
• Ability to work with others
• Confidence and self-esteem
• A sense of responsibility and understanding of their role as a citizen
• Academic success
• Workplace skills

A first class education requires full attendance.

However, the main consequence of continued non-attendance for your child could be reduced exam grades, an interrupted education and limitations on job/ career.

For More Information
Please contact us at:
Westleigh St. Paul’s Primary School
School Street
Leigh
WN7 5JN
Tel: 01942 672611
Fax: 01942 608481
Text: 07786208450

Education Penalty Notice Warning for Non-School Attendance

Under the Education Act 1996, parents and carers have a duty to make sure their children regularly attend school. If parents or carers fail to do this, they can be prosecuted.

Working within a Code of Conduct the Local Authority can issue a penalty notice to parents or carers if a child has missed a number of sessions without permission from school.

If your child falls within one or more of these categories within a 12 week period

•  10 sessions (5 days) of unauthorised absence with under 90% attendance
•  20 sessions (10 days) of unauthorised absence
•  Persistently arrives late for school after the close of registration

You could receive a Penalty Notice of £60, which will increase to £120 if not paid within 21 days. The Penalty Notice will need to be paid in full before 28 days of the notice being served. Failure to pay a penalty notice may result in prosecution (a separate penalty notice may be issued to each parent for each child).

In law, an offence is committed if a parent fails to secure a child’s regular attendance at school. Wigan Council Attendance Service, in conjunction with schools, will use these powers as an early deterrent to prevent patterns of unauthorised absence developing.

You may also receive a Penalty Notice for the offence of failing to secure regular school attendance under the following circumstances:

•  Your child is stopped on a truancy sweep
•  You fail to ensure that your child is not in a public place during the first 5 days of a fixed term or permanent exclusion.

The Local Authority and schools are committed to providing the best possible future for your child. If you have concerns about your child’s attendance at school or if you are experiencing and difficulties please contact your school and ask for support.