Warwickshire County Council's Cabinet today approved an updated Local Code of Conduct for issuing penalty notices relating to school attendance.
The updated code reflects a new National Framework introduced by the Department for Education (DfE) which comes into effect on 19 August 2024.
Warwickshire County Council has already begun preparing schools for the changes by contacting school leaders regarding the National Framework and local processes and discussing the changes with Headteacher representatives.
The council recognises that some pupils find it harder than others to attend school and therefore, at all stages of improving attendance, schools and partners work collaboratively with pupils and parents to remove any barriers to attendance by building strong and trusting relationships and ensuring that the right support is in place.
Cllr Kam Kaur, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Education, said: "To help children be the best they can be, it is a priority for us to ensure they have access to good and regular education. We understand the importance of working with families and schools to make sure children feel safe and able to engage with education and we are committed to a taking collaborative approach with school communities.
“The new National Framework prioritises a 'support first' approach with an emphasis on working together and strong communication between schools and families with penalty notices only used when necessary.”
Key changes under the National Framework include:
A single national threshold for considering a penalty notice: 10 sessions (usually 5 school days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling period of 10 school weeks.
Schools will make a case-by-case assessment on whether a penalty notice is appropriate when the threshold is met.
Introduction of a Notice to Improve option for cases where support is deemed suitable but not being engaged with.
Increased penalty notice rates: £160 if paid within 28 days, £80 if paid within 21 days.
A national limit of two penalty notices issued to a parent for the same child within a three-year period.
The updated Local Code of Conduct will be published on the Warwickshire County Council website in due course and distributed to all schools.
The full Cabinet report can be found here: https://democracy.warwickshire.gov.uk/documents/s37621/Approval%20of%20updated%20local%20code%20of%20conduct%20in%20relation%20to%20school%20attendance.pdf
More information about school attendance In Warwickshire can be found here: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/attendanceandexclusions