Penalty Notices
You are committing an offence if your child doesn’t attend school regularly, and it is not agreed by the school (unauthorised absence). In some cases, unauthorised absence may result in prosecution.
Penalty Notices were introduced as an alternative to prosecution. If paid within deadlines, a Penalty Notice does not require a court appearance, but still aims to improve attendance.
Cost of a Penalty Notice
Fines are issued by the council on behalf of schools and are:
- £60 per parent, per child, if payment is made within 21 days
- £120 per parent, per child, if paid after 21 days but within 28 days.
You have up to 28 days from receipt to pay the Penalty Notice in full. If full payment is not received within this time, we are required under the Act to commence proceedings in the Magistrates' Court for the original offence of unauthorised absence by your child.
If proven, this can result in fines of up to £2,500 and/or a range of measures such as Parenting Orders, Community Sentences and imprisonment.
If a parent is found guilty of the offence of failing to secure appropriate levels of attendance, the parent will receive a criminal record.
When Penalty Notices are used
When the school agrees for your child to miss school in advance, or accepts your explanation, absence is ‘authorised’. All other absence is ‘unauthorised’.
Penalty Notices may be used where absence is unauthorised, for example, when:
- a parent has taken their child on holiday during term without authorisation, especially when this means pupils miss exams like SATs or GCSEs
- enquiries made at school after a truancy sweep show the pupil’s absence at that time as unauthorised
- pupils are regularly late for school after the register has closed
- a pupil has eight or more unauthorised absences within the previous 10-week period.
Pay online
Contact us
If you have a question or are having problems paying your penalty notice online, contact the Education Welfare Team at educationcourtsteam@lambeth.onmicrosoft.com.