Ribbleton Avenue Methodist Junior School

Please Note: The DfE does not consider a need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation to be an exceptional circumstance.

Penalty notices

Ribbleton Avenue Methodist Junior school uses Penalty notices for unauthorised absences. Parents may be issued with a penalty notice if:

• taking a holiday during term time (10 sessions = 5 days - however, excessive leave of 15 school days or more may leave to prosecution instead of a fine)
• Non attendance (absences without appropriate reasons given or insufficient/no proof received for absences) (10 sessions = 5 days in a term or 14 sessions = 7 days over 2 terms)
• Punctuality (lateness recorded after the registers close)(10 sessions in a term or 14 sessions over 2 terms)

Note: Sessions for Non attendance and Punctuality can be combined together resulting in a penalty notice being issued.

Penalty notices are issued to each parent/carer individually for each child. If a penalty notice is issued, parents have up to 28 days from receipt of the notice to pay the penalty, however, if this is paid within 21 days the cost will be halved. e.g £120 per parent per child (28 days) reduced to £60 per parent per child if paid within 21 days (current charges - these will be increasing from 19th August 2024)

If the penalty notice is not paid within 28 days, parents may be prosecuted which will result in a criminal record, a community order or a much bigger fine.

Further information about Penalty Notices and prosecution can be found on the Lancashire County Council website at:

https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/children-education-families/schools/pay-an-education-penalty-notice/

Penalty Notice Fines for School Attendance are Changing!

With the introduction of the new National Framework for Penalty Notices, the following changes will come into force for Penalty Notice Fines issued after 19^th August 2024.

5 consecutive days of term time leave

Penalty Notice Fines will be issued for Term time leave of 5 or more consecutive days.

10 Sessions of unauthorised absence in a 10-week period (AM mark = 1 session, PM mark = 1 session)

(2 sessions = 1 school day)

Penalty notice fines will be considered when there have been 10 sessions of unauthorised absence in a 10-week period which may span different terms or school years. Absences may also include lates after the register closes.

Per Parent, Per Child

Penalty Notice Fines will be issued to each parent, for each child that was absent.

For example: 3 siblings absent for term time leave, would result in each parent receiving 3 separate fines.

First Offence

The first time a Penalty Notice is issued for Term Time Leave or Irregular Attendance the amount will be:

£160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days.

Reduced to £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days.

Second Offence (within 3 years)

The second time a Penalty Notice is issued for Term Time Leave or Irregular Attendance the amount will be:

£160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days.

Third Offence and Any Further Offences (within 3 years)

A maximum of 2 penalty notices may be issued to a parent for the same child within a rolling 3-year period. The third time an offence, or subsequent offences are committed for Term Time leave or Irregular Attendance, another course of action will need to be considered such as prosecution or one of the other attendance legal interventions.

Prosecution may result in a fine of up to £2500. Cases found guilty in Magistrates’ Court can show on a parent’s future DBS certificate.

Please Note: The DfE does not consider a need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation to be an exceptional circumstance.