Your questions answered as new school attendance rule rolls out across England next month

A NEW school attendance rule is set to roll out across England next month and it’s no surprise that parents have lots of questions. As of September 1, state schools across England will be given personalised attendance targets from the start of the academic year. Questions have been left unanswered about the Government’s new attendance rule, especially how it will impact the students Credit: PA It comes as rates of children missing school are above pre-pandemic levels, with the Department of Education now encouraging schools to play a bigger role. Schools will be contacted if attendance rates are off-track as part of a new monitoring rule by the Department of Education. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! To improve rates, which currently see one in five pupils miss 10 per cent of school, institutions have also been encouraged to offer more Friday activities to improve attendance at the end of the week. There will be no penalties or punishments for schools missing targets, but many parents may wonder how the change will impact their children. According to guidance from Gov.co.uk, we answer any questions that parents may have. That includes how the new rule will impact SEN children or any sick days kids may have. Q: Is the new rule for my child or for the school? A: There will be no change to the protocol for attendance when your child is poorly and has to miss school, and the absence will be legally authorised. Pupils will not be punished if a school’s attendance targets are missed, but the DofE will directly contact the school to make sure they are taking adequate action. Most read in The Sun Q: What happens when my child needs to go to an appointment? A: Schools and local authorities often encourage parents to book routine medical and dental appointments out of school hours. However, when this is unavoidable, the school must be notified in advance of the appointment, and will be marked as a legally authorised absence. Will I get fined if I keep my child off school for a long period of time? Local councils and schools can enforce various legal powers if your child is missing school without good reason: Fines You may receive a penalty notice if your child accumulates 10 unauthorised absences within a rolling 10-school-week period As school attendance is recorded twice a day, this is equivalent to five full days of missed school Absence fines start at £80 per parent, per child, if it is paid within a 21-day period; then it is doubled to £160 Each parent can only get up to two fines for the same child throughout a three-year period If you receive a second fine in the three year period, it is upped to £160 When the fine is not paid within 28 days, you can be taken to court for keeping your child out of school In court, a fine of up to £2,500, a community order or a jail sentence of up to three months can be issued, as well as a Parenting Order *In most cases, family holidays are not considered to be an authorised reason for absence, meaning many requests will be unauthorised Q: What if my child is sick? A: There will be no change to the protocol for attendance when your child is poorly and has to miss school, and the absence will be legally authorised. Parents must still contact the school on the first day of the absence to explain that your child is unwell and continue to notify them daily. Schools are not expected to request that parents provide medical evidence to prove a child’s illness. Q: What if my child is sent home from school? A: Schools must grant authorised absence when a child is sent home from school when they are unwell, and the absence will not count towards attendance. This is different if a child is sent home for disciplinary or behavioural issues, where it is logged as a formal suspension and monitored in an authorised non-attendance category. Q: Do the same rules apply if my child has SEN or disabilities? A: Parents still have the legal responsibility to ensure regular attendance if their child has Special Educational Needs (SEN) or disabilities. However, schools and councils must make reasonable adjustments to accommodate any SEN-related barriers, and authorise absences for appointments and illnesses. Q: Will there be attendance monitoring for teachers too? A: Attendance tracking and government tools are strictly for monitoring pupil attendance, not teachers. Teacher attendance, sickness and staff absences are overseen internally by school leadership teams and HR. Comment now