School attendance and absence

School is more than schoolwork: attendance information for parents

The lessons your child learns at school go far beyond academics. The friendships they build, the challenges they work through, and the everyday experiences they have teach them skills for life.

We know it isn't always easy getting your child to school. But encouraging them to go – even during difficult moments – builds their resilience.

School is where they develop social skills, build confidence, and learn that working through challenges can be rewarding. When children attend regularly, they're more likely to feel connected to their school community and their peers.

Attendance during one school year	Equals days absent	Approximate weeks absent	Approximate lessons missed
95%	9	2	50
90%	19	4	100
85%	29	6	150
80%	38	8	200

Missing even one day each week means a child is missing out on 20% of their education, making it harder to keep up with classwork and maintain friendships.

If you need help with attendance

If you need any help or support with your child’s attendance, the first step is to talk to your child’s school. Schools have support available and want to work in partnership with you. Information on who you can contact for help, including the school’s senior leader responsible for attendance, can be found in the school’s attendance policy on its website or available in hard copy from the school.

What schools do to support attendance

The Department for Education requires schools to:

• Build strong relationships and work jointly with families, listening to and understanding barriers to attendance and working in partnership with families to remove them.
• Develop and maintain a whole school culture that promotes the benefits of high attendance.
• Have a clear school attendance policy which all staff, pupils, and parents understand.
• Have effective day-to-day processes in place, to follow up with any absences.
• Regularly monitor and analyse attendance and absence data to identify pupils or cohorts that require support with attendance and put effective strategies in place.
• Share information and work collaboratively with other schools in the area, Local Authorities, and other partners where the pupil’s absence is at risk of becoming persistent and severe.
• Be particularly mindful of pupils absent from school due to mental or physical ill health or they have special educational needs and/or disabilities and provide them with additional support.

Understanding your responsibilities

The law requires that all children of compulsory school age receive full-time education. Where a child is enrolled at a school, parents and carers are responsible for making sure that their child attends school regularly.

As a parent or carer, you play the most important role in your child's education and in supporting their attendance.

From starting nursery, parents should teach their children the importance of going to school on time every day. Where there are difficulties, parents should speak to the child's school at the earliest opportunity.

Illness related absences

Illness is the biggest single reason for school absence. While some absences due to illness are unavoidable, the NHS provides clear guidance on when children are well enough to attend school.

Most mild illnesses – such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough – do not usually require time off school, unless your child has a temperature. Children with diarrhoea or vomiting should stay away from school until they have not been sick or had diarrhoea for at least two days (48 hours).

Where a child is too unwell to attend school, parents must let the school know before the start of the school day. 

Medical appointments

Where a child has a medical appointment, parents should get agreement from the school in advance for a leave of absence. Where possible, parents should make necessary medical appointments outside of school hours. 

If your child has a medical appointment during the school day and is well enough, they should go to school before the appointment and return afterwards. They can attend the appointment in their school uniform. This helps minimise time away from learning and keeps routines consistent.

Term time holidays

Parents should avoid taking term time holidays. Read more about this on our website.

What support is available to parents?

In the first instance parents and carers should speak to their child’s school so that they can provide support. 

As well as schools, there are a lot of services who work with children and families and who can provide information, advice, and support.

Support from the council

The council can also help if you are struggling to ensure that your child goes to school. Potential forms of support include:

• support to help reduce the burden on children where families are in difficulty (for example, if a child is spending a lot of time caring for someone)
• working with families and schools to overcome bullying and other serious problems.

If you think you need this help you can contact the Early Help Unit 0115 804 1248.

Enforcement action and fines

The council takes poor school attendance very seriously, and you could get a penalty notice or be prosecuted if your child is missing school without authorisation.

More information, including information about fines and how to pay them, can be found on our website under school attendance and the law.

Frequently asked questions

If you have a question about the penalty notice fine you have received please review the Frequently Asked Questions [Word].