School attendance and absence

A Penalty Notice is a type of financial penalty you must pay. It can be issued to you if your child has an unauthorised absence from school. Penalty Notices are issued per parent, per child.

You may be issued with a Penalty Notice if:

• you take your child on holiday during term-time without approval by the school
• your child has an unauthorised absence from school
• your child has been excluded from school and you fail to make sure they are not in a public place during the first 5 days of exclusion

Penalty Notices are issued to each parent for each child that has an unauthorised absence.

This means:

• you may receive more than one Penalty Notice
• others with parental responsibility may receive Penalty Notices for the same child's – or children's – absences

For full details, read our Penalty Notice code of conduct below.

Changes from 19 August 2024

From 19 August 2024, there will be a limit to the number of Penalty Notices you can receive as a result of unauthorised absences from school.

We will issue a maximum of 2 Penalty Notices within any 3-year period. That is, 3 years from the day you are issued a first notice after 19 August 2024 or, if you are issued another notice, 3 years from the date of that notice once the previous notice is more than 3 years' old.

We will start legal proceedings against you if your child has a third unauthorised absence within a 3-year period – this could lead to a higher financial penalty and will result in a criminal record.

Additionally from 19 August 2024 the amount you must for each Penalty Notice will increase.

How much you must pay – up to 18 August 2024

If you are issued a Penalty Notice, you must pay:

• £60 if you pay within 21 days of the date of issue
• £120 if you pay after 21 days but within 28 days of the date of issue

For example, if a family with 2 parents and 2 children receive Penalty Notices for both children's absences and pay them within 21 days:

• parent 1 pays £120 – £60 for child 1, £60 for child 2
• parent 2 pays £120 – £60 for child 1, £60 for child 2
• in total, both parents pay £240

In this example, however, if payment is made after 21 days but within 28 days:

• parent 1 pays £240 – £120 for child 1, £120 for child 2
• parent 2 pays £240 – £120 for child 1, £120 for child 2
• in total, both parents pay £480

How much you must pay – from 19 August 2024

The first time you are issued a Penalty Notice within a rolling 3-year period, you must pay:

• £80 if you pay within 21 days of the date of issue
• £160 if you pay after 21 days but within 28 days of the date of issue

The second time you are issued a Penalty Notice within a rolling 3-year period, there is no opportunity to pay a reduced amount. You must pay:

• £160 within 28 days of the date of issue

For example, if a family with 2 parents and 2 children receive their first Penalty Notices for both children's absences and pay them within 21 days:

• parent 1 pays £160 – £80 for child 1, £80 for child 2
• parent 2 pays £160 – £80 for child 1, £80 for child 2
• in total, both parents pay £320

However, if payments are made after 21 days but within 28 days, or if these are the second Penalty Notices received within a rolling 3-year period:

• parent 1 pays £320 – £160 for child 1, £160 for child 2
• parent 2 pays £320 – £160 for child 1, £160 for child 2
• in total, both parents pay £640

When to pay

Each Penalty Notice is a separate charge. Penalty Notices must be paid within the time allowed.

It is your responsibility to make the correct payment on time. This means:

• there are no circumstances by which the payment deadline can be extended
• there is no option enter into a credit agreement
• late payments or part payments will not be accepted
• no reminders will be sent

If payment is not made within 28 days, we will start legal proceedings against you – this could lead to a higher financial penalty and will result in a criminal record.

How to pay

You can pay your Penalty Notice online by debit card or credit card, below.

Pay a School Attendance Penalty Notice

Appeals

There is no right of appeal against a Penalty Notice.

If you wish to challenge whether a child's absence should have been authorised, you must contact the child's school directly. We cannot pause the Penalty Charge process so we encourage parents to make a payment within 21 days whilst in contact with the school.

If a head teacher or principal authorises an absence after a Penalty Notice has been issued, they must tell our School Attendance Support Team so the Penalty Notice can be withdrawn. If payment of the Penalty Notice has already been made, we will arrange a full refund.

If you believe a Penalty Notice has been issued outside of the terms of our code of conduct, you should write to us by email, below, stating why you believe a Penalty Notice should not have been issued. You must do this within 10 calendar days of the date the notice was issued.