Attendance
Importance of attendance across all our academies.
Ensuring all our pupils attend regularly is essential.
At Heritage Multi Academy Trust, we know that every school day makes a difference. Good attendance is one of the most important factors in helping your child achieve their full potential—academically, socially, and emotionally.
We are committed to working in partnership with families to ensure that children attend school regularly and on time. When children are in school consistently, they build stronger friendships, develop better learning habits, and make greater progress in their education.
Our Commitment to Reducing Persistent Absence
Persistent absence can have a lasting impact on a child’s confidence, wellbeing, and future opportunities. That’s why we take a proactive and supportive approach to help families overcome any barriers to attendance. Whether it's through early intervention, personalised support, or clear communication, we’re here to help.
We believe that strong attendance today builds a stronger future tomorrow—and together, we can make sure every child gets the best start in life.
If you ever need support or advice around attendance, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s school. We’re here to help.
National framework for penalty notices
From August 19th 2024, the Government introduced a new ‘national framework for penalty notices’. There are significant changes that parents need to be aware of:
- If your child has 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a 10-school week rolling period, you may be issued with a penalty notice. These 10 sessions may include any unauthorised absence, including leave in term time and do not have to be consecutive.
- Penalty notices are increasing to £160 from September 2024. This can be reduced to £80 but only for the first penalty notice issued, if paid within 21 days – this reduction does not apply to any subsequent penalty notice.
- Any 2nd penalty notice, to the same parent for the same child, issued within three years of the date of the first penalty notice will be charged at a flat rate of £160
- A third penalty notice will not be issued within a three-year rolling period, to the same parent for the unauthorised absence of the same child, – alternative action or legal measures will be utilised for subsequent offences.
- In some circumstances a ‘notice to improve’ may be issued – However, a notice to improve will only be used in cases where support is appropriate. They will not be issued in cases of unauthorised leave in term time for holidays, where information for parents is included on academies website or a simple warning by the academy that a penalty notice could be issued if unauthorised leave in term time is taken will suffice.
- If in an individual case the local authority believes a penalty notice would be appropriate, they retain the discretion to issue one before the threshold is met. For example, when a parent purposefully tries to avoid a penalty notice by taking their child out of school when there is only four pupil days in school and the fifth day is for example a PD day or bank holiday attached to that week.
