Notices to Improve and penalty notices - what parents and carers need to know

Why is attendance so important?

Missing school has a big impact on how well children do. The more school a child misses:

the harder it is to catch up on missed work
the harder it becomes to get back into a routine
the more likely they are to fall behind or disengage

Children who miss school regularly are also more at risk of becoming involved in crime—either as a victim or an offender.

Research shows that a Year 11 pupil who misses 17 days in a school year may drop one full GCSE grade. Even a few days of absence now can affect your child’s future opportunities.

What does the law say about school attendance?

Under Section 444 of the Education Act 1996, parents and carers must make sure their child attends school regularly. If a child has unauthorised absences (meaning the school has not approved the time off), the parent may face legal action.

Bradford Council can issue Penalty Notices as an alternative to prosecution. These are fines given to parents who are able but unwilling to improve their child’s attendance.

What is a Notice to Improve?

A Notice to Improve is a formal warning sent to parents when a child’s attendance is poor. It explains:

how many sessions your child has missed
that further unauthorised absences may lead to a Penalty Notice

You may receive more than one Notice to Improve if your child continues to miss school. There is no limit to how many times a warning can be issued.

Important: Notices to Improve are not issued for term-time holidays. In those cases, a Penalty Notice is issued directly.

I’ve received a Notice to Improve – what should I do?

To avoid receiving a Penalty Notice:

make sure your child goes to school every day and arrives on time
if your child is ill, contact the school on the first day and explain the reason
if your child needs to be away for another reason, let the school know in advance
do not take holidays or leave during term time
talk to your child’s school about any problems affecting attendance

What is a Penalty Notice?

A Penalty Notice is a fine issued to parents or carers. It is:

£80 per parent if paid within 21 days
£160 per parent if paid between 22 and 28 days

If you receive a second Penalty Notice for the same child within three years, the fine is £160 with no option to pay the lower amount.

If a third offence occurs, Bradford Council will usually prosecute instead of issuing another fine.

Penalty Notices are sent by first-class post and include instructions on how to pay. You must:

pay the full amount in one payment
pay on time
you cannot pay in instalments or part-pay

I’ve received a Penalty Notice – what does it mean?

If your child of compulsory school age fails to attend school regularly, you may be committing a criminal offence under Section 444(1) or (1A) of the Education Act 1996.

The Penalty Notice gives you the chance to pay a fine instead of being prosecuted. If you pay within the time limit:

no further action will be taken

If you do not pay:

you will be prosecuted for failing to ensure regular attendance
you could be fined up to £2,500 if convicted
you could also receive a custodial sentence of up to 3 months

A conviction will be recorded on the Police National Computer and may appear in DBS and criminal record checks.

Who receives the Penalty Notice?

Each parent receives a separate notice for each child with unauthorised absence
Every notice has its own reference number
You must pay each notice in full

Can I appeal a Penalty Notice?

There is no right to appeal a Penalty Notice.

It can only be withdrawn if:

it was issued in error
it was not issued in line with the Local Code of Conduct (PDF).

If you have any queries about this notice or the code of conduct, please contact our team using the link below:

Contact the Education Penalty Notice team online now

Further information regarding school attendance in Bradford can be found via on our attendance webpage.

How do I pay my penalty notice?

Unfortunately, the law does not allow the council to accept part payments nor accept late payments, your payment must be made by the date stated in your penalty notice.

We are only able to take payments online via the council website - www.bradford.gov.uk/pay. There is no ability to pay by cash, in person or over the telephone. If you are having a technical issue, please ensure you follow these steps:

Go to www.bradford.gov.uk/pay.
Scroll down the page, find 'School non-attendance fine', and click on 'Pay your school non-attendance fine by debit or credit card'.
You'll then be taken to the 'Web payments' webpage. Scroll down the page and find 'School Absence After Sept 2024'. Click on 'School Absence After Sept 2024'.
You are then taken to another webpage, where you can enter your penalty notice reference number and make payment by credit or debit card for the correct amount.