Education Welfare Services (EWS)

School Attendance

School attendance and the legal roles and responsibilities

Parents

Parents are legally obliged to:

secure education for their children of compulsory school age whether at school or otherwise; (Sect.7 Education Act 1996)
ensure regular attendance once the pupil has been registered (Sect. 444 Education Act 1996)

Additionally parents have a duty to ensure an holistic approach to the importance of education. Department of Education and Skills (DCSF) guidance recommends: -

Parental responsibility extends beyond securing regular school attendance. Parents should ensure that their children arrive at school on time, properly attired and in a condition to learn. Furthermore they need to see themselves as partners with schools in the education of their children. This means instilling in their children a respect for education - and for those who deliver it - and ensuring that pupils complete homework on time. Parents should impress upon their children the need to observe schools' code of conduct and reinforce this through discipline in the home.

The Education Welfare Service

LEAs have a statutory requirement to:

ensure that parents/carers fulfil their obligations;
provide services to support parent in achieving optimum attendance;
take appropriate action where parents fail in that duty; (Sect. 444 Education Act 1996) See Code of Practice.

Schools

Schools are required to:

register pupils attendance twice daily, once at the beginning of the morning session and again at the beginning of the afternoon session; (The Education (Pupil's Registration) Regulations 1995 and (Amendment) 1997)
distinguish between authorised and unauthorised absences in their registers;
publish details of unauthorised absences and pupils recording unauthorised absences percentages in annual reports and prospectuses;
include a record of unauthorised absences in annual reports to parents;
notify parents and the LEA of absences from school;
develop a clear written policy on attendance.