Term Dates
Holiday dates for this academic year and next can be found below. Hard copies are available from the school office.
We would like to remind all parents that we can not authorise holidays within term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Absence request forms are available from the office; if you wish to discuss any attendance matter, please contact us at school.
The following information has been taken from Sefton's attendance page:
Attendance
The general rules on school attendance include:
- it is a parents’ duty to send their child to school regularly if they are of compulsory school age
- it is schools’ responsibility to record attendance and follow up absence
- the local authority is able to resume the use of legal sanctions, including penalty notices and processes that may lead to prosecution in court for persistent absence.
Penalty Notices for School Non-Attendance
A penalty notice is a fine issued to parents or carers for their child's unauthorised absence from school. In Sefton, penalty notices are most often used for unauthorised absence/holidays in term time.
Penalty notices are sent through the post. The penalty notice contains information explaining how and where to pay.
Taking Children out of School During Term Time
The law was changed in 2013 and made it clear that head teachers may not grant leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.
You should not take your children out of school during term time unless you are granted authorised leave of absence by the head teacher. If you do take your child out of school without the leave of absence being authorised, the head teacher may direct the Council to take measures to issue either a penalty notice or prosecute you as parents.
Responsibility for Paying the Penalty Notice
The parent/carer named on the letter and on the invoice, is responsible for paying the penalty notice. If penalty notices have been issued to two parents at the same address, each individual parent is responsible for paying their own penalty notice. Penalty notices are issued to each individual parent/carer of each individual child separately.
Under Section 576 of the Education Act 1996 a parent is defined as:
- All natural parents, whether they are married or not
- Any person who, although not a natural parent, has parental responsibility for a child or young person
- And any person who, although not a natural parent, has care of a child or young person. Having care of a child or young person means that a person with whom the child lives and who looks after the child, is considered to be a parent in education law.
Penalty Notice Costs
The penalty notice is for £60, per parent, per child, which rises to £120 if you don't pay within 21 days. If you don't pay the fine after 28 days you may be prosecuted for the offence of failing to ensure your child's regular attendance at school.
You must pay the whole of the amount owing in one payment - you cannot pay in instalments and you cannot pay part of the penalty notice.
Withdrawal of a Penalty Notice
A penalty notice can only be withdrawn if it is shown that it should not have been issued to you or has not been issued to you in accordance with the local Code of Conduct.
If you believe that a penalty notice has been wrongly issued to you as a result of a leave of absence, you should raise this with the school in the first instance.
If a penalty notice is not withdrawn and you do not pay it, you will be liable to prosecution for the offence that your child has failed to attend school regularly.
Appeals
There is no statutory right of appeal once a Penalty Notice has been issued.
Click here to download the Penalty Notice Code of Conduct
