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Attendance

New online absence request form: 

If you need your child to be absent from school, you must let us know by completing this form: 

https://dunkirkprimary.formstack.com/forms/parents_absence_safeguarding_form

We can only grant leave in exceptional circumstances. Any unauthorised leave may result in a local authority penalty notice - please see the information below. 

School absence

This video highlights the importance of children being in school: 

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Penalty NoticesSir John Hunt

A national Framework for penalty Notices for school absence, including unauthorised holiday absence, is being introduced following changes to the law. These new government regulations came into effect from 19th August 2024.

 
What are these changes?

  1. There will be a new national threshold of 10 unauthorised sessions for any reason (equivalent to 5  school days) within a rolling 10 school-week period for when a penalty notice must be considered.

  2. The new rules mean you are unable to take your child out of school a holiday or leave without a penalty notice being issued. School will consider leave in exceptional circumstances for example, a family funeral or medical appointment.

  3. There will be an increase in the penalty fine from £60 to £80 if paid in 21 days. If the fine is not paid by the first 21 days, it will rise to £160 if paid within 28 days of being issued.

  4. If a second penalty fine is issued to the same parent for the same child within a 3-year rolling period, the fine will automatically rise to £160 with no option to pay the lower rate of £80.

  5. If a parent then commits a third offence in a 3-year rolling period, the local authority will need to  consider other enforcement options available to them.