School attendance information for parents and carers

Why attendance matters

Going to school every day helps your child:

• make friends and feel part of the school
• learn new skills and knowledge
• build confidence and self-esteem
• improve social skills
• reach their full potential

Good attendance builds routines that prepare your child for adult life and work.

What does 90% attendance really mean?

Many parents think 90% attendance is good. But here’s what it looks like:

• 90% attendance = missing half a day of school every week
• over a year = 4 full weeks of missed lessons
• over a school career = 209 missed days – more than a full year of school

This means your child spends more time out of school than in it!

Arriving late to school

Being late can disrupt your child’s learning and affect the whole class.

• If your child arrives after the register has been taken, they will be marked as late.
• If they arrive very late, they may be marked as unauthorised late – this is treated the same as an unauthorised absence.

Getting to school on time helps your child settle into the day and shows that learning is important.

When your child is absent

Schools must record every absence and the reason for it. Only the headteacher can authorise an absence, although staff may do this on their behalf unless there’s a concern.

You should:

• contact the school as soon as possible on the first day of absence
• give a clear reason for the absence
• let the school know in advance about planned absences (for example, hospital appointments)
• yry to book medical or dental appointments outside school hours

If the school doesn’t hear from you, they will contact you to find out why your child is absent.

Authorised absences

These are absences the school agrees are valid, such as:

• genuine illness
• hospital or dental appointments
• death of a close relative
• religious observance (based on the family’s faith)

Unauthorised absences

These are absences the school does not approve, including:

• shopping trips
• birthday treats
• oversleeping due to a late night
• looking after siblings
• letting tradespeople into the house
• parent or carer being unwell

Term-time leave

Family holidays should be taken during school holidays, which are published a year in advance.

Leave during term time is not a right. If you need to request it:

• ask for a leave request form from the school office
• submit the form in advance
• the headteacher will decide whether to authorise the absence

Even if your child has excellent attendance, leave can only be authorised in exceptional circumstances.

Absence and the law

As a parent or carer, you are legally responsible for making sure your child attends school regularly.

You may be committing an offence if your child misses school without permission – even if you didn’t know they were absent.

If your child has unauthorised absences (including term-time holidays not approved by the school), the school may report this to Bradford Council. The council can:

• issue a Penalty Notice
• start legal action

Improving attendance = improving outcomes

Bradford Council is committed to giving every child the best start in life. Making sure children attend school regularly is a key part of this.

Reducing absence is a priority for both Bradford and the Government. Most parents in Bradford already make sure their children go to school every day.

How the council supports families

Bradford Council’s Attendance and Prosecution Teams work on behalf of the council to:

• enforce the legal duty of parents to ensure regular school attendance
• support children and families when attendance is affected by personal or school-related issues
• work closely with schools to resolve problems and improve attendance
• offer advice and help schools develop strategies to support pupils and reduce absence

These teams aim to help families early, before problems become serious.

What does “parent” mean in education law?

Under the Education Act 1996, the term “parent” includes:

• a child’s biological or adoptive mother or father
• any person who has parental responsibility for the child
• any person who has care of the child, even if they are not the child’s legal parent

This means that step-parents, grandparents, foster carers, and others who look after a child on a day-to-day basis may be considered a “parent” for the purposes of school attendance and education law.