Attendance

Regular school attendance is very important to giving your child the best possible start in life. Children who miss school frequently can fall behind with their work, don't perform as well in exams and are more likely to be involved in anti-social behaviour or crime.

Your legal responsibility

By law, children of compulsory school age (5 to 16) must receive a suitable full-time education. You're legally responsible for making sure they attend regularly. If they don't, you'll be contacted by your child's school or the local authority, who have the legal power to issue penalties.

Page last updated: 07 September 2017