School attendance information for parents
When your child needs to attend school
Children must get a full-time education that meets their needs — either by attending school or through home education. This is legally required under Section 7 of the Education Act 1996.
Children must start full-time education from the school term after their fifth birthday. They must stay in full-time education until the last Friday in June in the school year they turn 16.
Parents are legally required to make sure their children attend school regularly. This means your child must attend school on every day their school requires them to. Your child's school will tell you what days you child needs to attend and how to tell them if your child is going to be absent or late.
You could get a penalty notice or be prosecuted if your child is missing school without authorisation.
It can be extremely hard for a pupil to catch up on missed work, regular absence can really disadvantage your child in life. Children who miss one day each week from school, are missing out on 20% of their education.
| Attendance during one school year | Equals days absent | Approximately this many weeks absent | Which means this many lessons missed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95% | 9 | 2 | 50 |
| 90% | 19 | 4 | 100 |
| 85% | 29 | 6 | 150 |
| 80% | 38 | 8 | 200 |