Janice R. Andrews
Ministers Announce Mandatory Attendance Policies for Schools
The Ministry of Education today unveiled a comprehensive set of rules intended to control student attendance, which will go into effect in September. The new regulations include a number of measures, such as higher fines for absences, more stringent criteria for penalty consideration, daily data sharing with the government, and updated absence codes.
The following are the main lessons that should be taught in schools:
‘Improvement Notices’ and Increased Fines:
- Parental fines for absences will increase to £80, or £160 if they are not paid in full within 21 days.
- Prior to the imposition of fines, parents will receive one last chance to address attendance difficulties through “notices to improve” from the schools.
National Fine Limits:
- If a student misses ten periods of unauthorised absence in ten school weeks, the school has to think about fining them.
- In certain situations, councils have the authority to impose fines prior to the threshold being reached.
Using Penalty Income to Provide Support:
- Extra fine money that councils receive can be used to support attendance; any money left over must be given to the secretary of state.
Required Daily Exchange of Data:
- The government must get daily attendance data from schools, which is made possible by computerized management systems.
Limitations on Protest Absences:
- It’s urged that schools refuse to provide students time off for participating in protests while classes are in session.
Reporting Extended Illness Leave:
- Councils must be notified by schools when students are anticipated to miss 15 days in a row or a total of 15 days due to illness.
Assistance with Mental Health:
- Schools are asked to offer extra assistance to students who miss class because of physical or mental health problems.
Limitations on the Removal of Registers:
- It is not possible to remove a student from a register in the past without the consent of both local authorities and schools.
Additional Limitations on Attendance Codes:
- Stricter guidelines for off-site education and new regulations for education provision organized by councils are among the modifications to attendance codes.
Updates to Absence Codes:
- To handle certain situations like travel disruptions, school closures, and absences resulting from laws or public health guidelines, more absence codes have been developed.
The new policies are intended to simplify the process of managing attendance while guaranteeing that students are provided with sufficient assistance and materials to sustain consistent attendance. Before the revised regulations take effect in September, schools are urged to become acquainted with them. Keep checking back for more details as this story develops.
