If a parent telephones a school to give a reason for their child's absence, does that mean that the absence is authorised?
No! It is only the school that can authorise this. The school may wish to ask for clarification of the reason for absence.
Can a parent insist on a family holiday during term time?
There is no right in law for a school to authorise absence during term-time holidays. A register code for a young person taking a holiday in term which is unauthorised is code G. Parents or carers may be fined for G coded absences. It is the school which must make decisions whether to authorise such absences.
School requests for Penalty Notices are sent to the Education Welfare Service for approval. Non-payment of a fine may result on prosecution in magistrates court for non-school attendance.
What is the value of electronic registration?
In our experience electronic registration enhances the whole school management of attendance matters. Lesson-by-lesson registration is a very useful tool in addressing internal truancy issues and addressing attendance concerns quickly.