Support First Approach

A Notice to Improve is a final opportunity for a parent to engage in support and improve attendance before a referral for legal intervention is made to the Local Authority Attendance Team. If the national threshold (10 sessions of unauthorised absence within 10 school weeks) has been met but offers of support have not been engaged with by the parent or is not supporting an improvement in the pupil's attendance than a Notice to Improve should be issued to give parents a final chance to engage in support. This final warning will encompass a six-week period (30 school days) the notice will ensure that parents are aware of their legal responsibilities regarding ensuring their child's regular attendance at school.

During the notice period the pupil's attendance record should be reviewed daily and if there is further unauthorised absence recorded, consideration should be given as to whether a Legal Intervention referral should be submitted to the Attendance Team.

Schools are not required to wait until the 30 school days have passed before considering a referral - decisions will need to be taken on a case-by-case basis, based on the level of parental/pupil engagement and/or level of attendance improvement noted.

Sufficient improvement during the Notice to Improve validity period may include evidence of no further unauthorised absences within the improvement period or a sufficient amount of improvement tailored to the specific family circumstances.

Referrals for legal intervention should only be made once all avenues of support have been exhausted and parents are not engaging.