Attendance
Please see the link at the bottom of the page for guidance around your child being ill and attending school. More information from NHS England can be found here.
To request Leave of Absence for your child in term time, please click on or scan the QR code below.
How attendance can affect your child’s future progression
| Above 97% | Less than 6 days absence a year | Excellent attendance. These young people will almost certainly achieve the best grades they can, leading to better prospects for the future. Pupils will also develop a strong habit of attending school, which will support them in later life. |
| 95% | Around 10 days absence a year | These pupils are likely to achieve good grades and continue to build a positive habit of attending school regularly. Pupils who take a two-week holiday during term time each year can only achieve 95% attendance. |
| 90% and below | 19 days or more absence a year | The Government classes young people in this group as “Persistent Absentees”. It is very difficult to keep up with learning at this level of attendance. Parents of pupils in this group may also face the possibility of legal action being taken by the Local Authority. |
Being late to school can have a considerable impact over the whole school year. The table below shows you just how much time can be missed over a year just by being 5 minutes late to school every day:
- 5 minutes late every day = 3 days of school lost a year
- 10 minutes late every day = 6.5 days of school lost a year
- 15 minutes late every day = 10 days of school lost a year
- 20 minutes late every day = 13 days of school lost a year
- 30 minutes late every day = 19 days of school lost a year
We understand that the school mornings can be hectic, but when your child is late for school they are missing out on vital parts of their education. If your child arrives 30 minutes after the register has been taken, they will have an “unauthorised” late mark – this is the same as an “unauthorised absence” - an explanation of this term and the possible consequences are attached. At Park Aspire, our registers close at 9:30am.
If you have any queries or would like to talk to anyone about attendance, please do not hesitate to contact school.
Unauthorised absence from school – key points explained – September 2025
Fines for unauthorised absence from school
Unauthorised absences are any absence not agreed by your child’s school. If your child has unauthorised absences in an academic year, you may be liable for a penalty notice.
To avoid this, it’s important to ensure that your child attends school everyday and on time and that if they are absent, the school are able to authorise the absence.
It is only the headteacher or principal of a school, who can authorise school absence.
Issuing a penalty notice
Under the Working together to improve school attendance, (statutory guidance effective from the 19 August 2024), a national framework for the use of penalty notices for unauthorised absence from school, has been introduced by the Department for Education.
There is now a national threshold
There is a single consistent national threshold for when a penalty notice must be considered by all schools in England, of 10 sessions (usually equivalent to 5 school days) of unauthorised absence, within a rolling 10 school week period.
For example:
- a 5-day holiday in term time (term time leave), would meet the national threshold.
- 5 days of unauthorised absence due to irregular school attendance, would meet the national threshold.
The 10 school week period can span different terms or school years.
Who may be issued with a Penalty Notice?
Penalty Notices are issued per *parent – per child
Penalty Notice Fines are issued to each parent who allows their child to be absent from school.
For example: 3 siblings absent for term-time leave, would result in each parent, who allowed the absence, receiving 3 separate fines.
A parent is defined as the natural parent, the person with whom the child lives and/or has day to day care of the child.
Fines and Prosecution
First offence
The first time a Penalty Notice is issued for term time leave or irregular school attendance, the fine amount will be:
- £80 per parent, per child, if paid within 21 days.
- increasing to £160 if paid between days 22 to 28.
Second offence (within 3 years)
The Second time a Penalty Notice is considered and issued for term time leave or irregular school attendance, the fine amount will be:
- £160 per parent, per child, payable within 28 days.
Third offence and any further offences (within 3 years)
The third time an offence is committed for Term Time Leave or Irregular school Attendance, a Penalty Notice will not be issued.
The case will be referred to the Magistrate’s Court for consideration.
Upon Prosecution a parent can receive a criminal record and a fine of up to £2,500.
If you pay the penalty notice within the timeframe, as indicated, you cannot be prosecuted for the period covered by the penalty notice. You do still remain liable to prosecution if your child’s attendance does not improve.
If you don’t pay the fine, you’ll be prosecuted for the original offence of failing to secure attendance. If proven, the court can impose a fine of up to £2,500 and/or three months’ imprisonment.
Bradford Council has a local penalty notice code of conduct, to ensure that the national framework is adhered to and there is consistency across all schools within the local authority.
Help and Advice
If you have concerns about your child’s attendance, you should contact:
- your child’s school first
- the Bradford Attendance Support Team if your child is causing you special concern –attendance@bradford.gov.uk
Schools must work with parents and children at as early a stage as possible to address concerns that may lead to irregular school attendance. Interventions and preventative measures must be put into place to support children to access their education. A referral to Early Help may also provide additional support with your child’s attendance.
