Truancy
Children registered at a school must attend unless permission is given for their absence. Parents or carers of children that do play truant may receive a fixed penalty fine.
- What is truancy?
- What are the penalties?
- Are there any exemptions?
- Why do some children play truant?
- Who to contact if your child is playing truant
What is truancy?
If any child under 16 registered at a school fails to attend their classes without prior permission they are deemed to be 'playing truant'.
What are the penalties?
The parents or carers of a child playing truant will be held responsible. Under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act parents or carers can be asked to agree to get advice or go on courses to help their child's behaviour, failure to agree to such action can result in a fixed penalty fine of up to £100.
Are there any exemptions?
Schools may authorise absence of up to 10 school days a year for holidays, but this is not an automatic entitlement.
Children do not have to attend school provided they get "an efficient full-time education", which may be provided at home.
Why do some children play truant?
There are many reasons why young people play truant. Sometimes they are having difficulties with their school work and are feeling discouraged. In some cases a young person may have a learning difficulty (eg dyslexia) that has not been recognised. They may be treated unsympathetically. In many cases, young people avoid school because they are being bullied, harassed or verbally abused (this can include sexual harassment or racial abuse). There is also a condition known as 'school phobia', which is a genuine fear of school.
Who to contact if your child is playing truant
If you are experiencing any problems attending school, in the first instance you should contact your head of year or head of house. They should help you to resolve your problems. If you are still having problems, you can call the School Education Welfare Officer directly on 0161-778 0600 or email education.welfare@salford.gov.uk.
This page was last updated on 29 February 2008
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