South Tyneside Council Pupil Attendance and Absence Management Policy

Referrals to the team are accepted when:

• school completes the Stage 1 process
• unauthorised absences continue
• the documentation to evidence completion of Stage 1 interventions by school is provided with the referral form
• the referral threshold is met (10 unauthorised sessions in the previous 6 school weeks - 30 days)

It is good practice to inform the parent(s) or carer that a referral has been made to the local authority attendance team.

All referrals should be accompanied by the following supporting evidence:

• copies of letters to parent(s) or carer
• details of home visits - dates, outcomes
• copy of school's attendance improvement support plan to include role of other agencies if supporting the family
• copy of the Early Help Assessment and plan with details of review (provide reason if this is not in place)
• up-to-date attendance certificate
• details of other agency involvement
• fully completed referral form
• details of person or people with parental responsibility
• signed and dated by the referrer

On receipt of all the relevant paperwork, a fully completed referral form and an attendance certificate displaying recent unauthorised absence, the attendance team will action the referral within 10 school days. The attendance team will decide to either:

• follow South Tyneside Council's penalty notice procedure
• arrange a Stage 2 meeting with parent(s) / Carer, School and Pupil where appropriate

Penalty notice procedure

We will send a penalty notice warning letter to the parent(s) / carers named on the referral form outlining their parental responsibility. The warning letter advises the parent(s) / carer the child should return to school immediately with regular daily attendance.

This will cover a 3-week monitoring period with no further unauthorised absence during this time. Evidence to cover absences must be provided by the parent(s) / carer.

At the end of the 3-week monitoring period, the attendance officer will review the pupil's school attendance. If the target has been met (no unauthorised absences in the 3-week monitoring period) the penalty notice warning will be withdrawn and passed back to school level monitoring.

If unauthorised absences continue, a penalty notice will be issued to the parent(s) / carer named on the referral form.

In cases of non-payment, the local authority will consider prosecuting the parent(s) / carer in the magistrate's court.

Parent(s) / carers may not be issued with more than 2 penalty notices in an academic year September to August.

For more information see, code of conduct for education related penalty notices.

Stage 2 Meeting

If the parent(s) / carer have been prosecuted before for failing to make sure their child attends school or for significant absences a Stage 2 meeting will be held.

A final warning letter will be issued to the parent(s) / carer detailing their parental responsibility and outlining the local authority's consideration of prosecution in the magistrate court if unauthorised absences continue with a monitoring period of no more than 4 weeks.

The local authority Attendance Manager will arrange the Stage 2 meeting, a letter will be sent to the parent(s) or carer inviting them to attend to the meeting with their child. If other professionals are involved with the family, they will also be invited to the meeting held at South Shields Town Hall.

A parenting contract and a 4-week attendance plan will be negotiated and put in place at the meeting.

The parent(s) or carer will be invited to sign the parenting contract. All parties will be asked to sign the contract: school representative, parent, pupil, and local authority attendance officer.

On review, if the attendance target set at the Stage 2 meeting is achieved, a further 4-week monitoring period will take place. The attendance manager will maintain contact with school during this period. If targets continue to be met, the case will be closed and passed back to school level monitoring.

If new information becomes available to the attendance manager during the intervention that suggests the family circumstances have changed or a significant need emerges relating to the family, then it may be appropriate to return to Stage 2 meeting to make sure the plan is fit for purpose.

If the targets set at the Stage 2 meeting are not met, then the local authority will consider prosecuting the parent(s) or carer in the magistrate court.