Lache Primary School Live to learn, Learn to live

Attendance - Updated Information

National Framework for Penalty Notices for School Attendance

A new National Framework for Penalty Notices for School Absence will come into effect from the 19th August 2024. A penalty notice is an out of court settlement which is intended to cause improved attendance without the need for a criminal prosecution.

The National Framework aims to:

· Make penalty notices more effective by ensuring they are only used in cases where they are the most appropriate tool.

· Prioritise the support first approach by expecting support to be used in cases where it is appropriate.

· Improve consistency in the use of penalty notices across England by introducing a new national threshold at which they are considered.

· Improve the deterrent effect of a penalty notice by increasing the amount and introducing a new national limit of 2 penalty notices within a 3 year period.

The National Framework includes:

· A single consistent national threshold for when a penalty notice must be considered of 10 sessions (usually equivalent to 5 school days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling 10 school week period. The three-year period begins from the date of the first penalty notice issued on or after 19 August 2024.

· Unauthorised absence sessions can be consecutive (e.g. 10 sessions of holiday in one week) or sporadic (e.g. 6 sessions of unauthorised absence in 1 week and 1 per week for the next 4 weeks). The 10 school week period may span different terms or school years.

· The option of using a ‘Notice to Improve’ where support is appropriate to provide a final opportunity to engage with support to prevent a penalty notice being issued.

· The first penalty notice issued to the parent for that pupil will be charged at £160 if paid within 28 days reducing to £80 if paid within 21 days. (this is less than an inflationary rise since 2013)

· Where it is deemed appropriate to issue a second penalty notice to the same parent for the same pupil within 3 years of the first notice, the second notice is charged at a flat rate of £160 if paid within 28 days.

· A third penalty notice must not be issued within a 3 year period. Therefore, in cases where the threshold is met for a third (or subsequent) times within those 3 years, a penalty notice cannot be issued and alternative action should be taken instead. This will often include considering prosecution, but may include other tools such as one of the other attendance legal interventions.

The penalty notice system is not a money making scheme and local authorities do not have income targets. Monies should be first used for the administration of the penalty notice system and prosecution. Any revenues collected through the system must be ring fenced for attendance and any surplus must be paid to the Secretary of State.

If you’re having trouble getting your child to go to school, the school will discuss attendance problems with you and should agree a plan with you to improve your child’s attendance.

The Council offers support through Team around the Family (TAF) and Live Well.

Home | Live Well Cheshire West (cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk )

Attendance At Lache Primary

Queen Mary Avenue Infant and Nursery School - Attendance Heroes

At Lache Primary School we want our children to be heroes...Attendance HEROES!

All HEROES are Here Everyday, Ready On time and Enjoying School

We hold a HERO week every half term. All children will strive to attend school everyday and arrive on time to receive a sticker/stamp, If they do this everyday that week they receive a certificate.

Weekly class attendance is celebrated in Friday assemblies. Each week the class with the highest attendance will have their label put into a hat. In the last assembly of every half term a label is pulled from the hat. This class wins the trophy and a box/tub of heroes to share.

Also, at the end of every half term children with attendance above 97% will receive a silicone wrist band.There will be 6 different colours to collect. We also reward parents too!

At the end of the year 100% attenders will receive a £10 voucher and certificate each.

The children will also be asked if they would like to recycle their wrist bands for the following year to reduce the impact on the environment.

WHY IS ATTENDANCE SO IMPORTANT...

Research has shown that there is a link between expected achievement and poor attendance. Poor attendance can have a negative impact on your child's learning and personal development.

There is support for you if you find getting to school on time hard. Just pop in and have a chat. Help is on hand when needed! To find out more about how we deal with attendance issues, please refer to the policy attached at the bottom of this page.

Should I send my child to school if...

It can be tricky deciding whether or not to keep your child off school, nursery or playgroup when they're unwell.

There are government guidelines for schools and nurseries about managing specific infectious diseases at GOV.UK. These say when children should be kept off school and when they shouldn't.

If you do keep your child at home, it's important to phone the school or nursery on the first day. Let them know that your child won't be in and give them the reason.

If your child is well enough to go to school but has an infection that could be passed on, such as a cold sore or head lice, let their teacher know.

Other illnesses

Follow this advice if your child does not have coronavirus symptoms or they had a test and it was negative (they do not have coronavirus).

Coughs and colds

It's fine to send your child to school with a minor cough or common cold. But if they have a fever, keep them off school until the fever goes.

Encourage your child to throw away any used tissues and to wash their hands regularly.

High temperature

If your child has a high temperature, keep them off school until it goes away.

Chickenpox

If your child has chickenpox, keep them off school until all the spots have crusted over.

This is usually about 5 days after the spots first appeared.

Cold sores

There's no need to keep your child off school if they have a cold sore.

Encourage them not to touch the blister or kiss anyone while they have the cold sore, or to share things like cups and towels.

Conjunctivitis

You don't need to keep your child away from school if they have conjunctivitis.

Do get advice from your pharmacist. Encourage your child not to rub their eyes and to wash their hands regularly.

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Your child should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if they test positive for COVID. Once the symptoms have subsided they may return to school. This is usually around 2-3 days.

Ear infection

If your child has an ear infection and a high temperature or severe earache, keep them off school until they're feeling better or their high temperature goes away.

Hand, foot and mouth disease

If your child has hand, foot and mouth disease but seems well enough to go to school, there's no need to keep them off.

Encourage your child to throw away any used tissues straight away and to wash their hands regularly.

Head lice and nits

There's no need to keep your child off school if they have head lice.

You can treat head lice and nits without seeing a GP.

Impetigo

If your child has impetigo, they'll need treatment from a GP, often with antibiotics.

Keep them off school until all the sores have crusted over and healed, or for 48 hours after they start antibiotic treatment.

Encourage your child to wash their hands regularly and not to share things like towels and cups with other children at school.

Ringworm

If your child has ringworm, see your pharmacist unless it's on their scalp, in which case you should see a GP.

It's fine for your child to go to school once they have started treatment.

Scarlet fever

If your child has scarlet fever, they'll need treatment with antibiotics from a GP. Otherwise they'll be infectious for 2 to 3 weeks.

Your child can go back to school 24 hours after starting antibiotics.

Slapped cheek syndrome (fifth disease)

You don't need to keep your child off school if they have slapped cheek syndrome because, once the rash appears, they're no longer infectious.

But let the school or teacher know if you think your child has slapped cheek syndrome.

Sore throat

You can still send your child to school if they have a sore throat. But if they also have a high temperature, they should stay at home until it goes away.

A sore throat and a high temperature can be symptoms of tonsillitis.