Request a school attendance enforcement referral

You can use this form to request a school attendance enforcement referral.

The child must have had 10 or more sessions of unauthorised absence in a 10 school week period.

Enforcement referrals will only be accepted after significant efforts have been made by schools to improve the pupil’s attendance. You'll need to give evidence to show the efforts that have been made.

Before you request an enforcement referral, you must:

  • refer to the advice and guidance given to schools about the staged attendance process to make sure that the correct steps have been taken before an enforcement referral is made
  • offer Early Help to a parent where appropriate to support attendance concerns
  • discuss and seek agreement about the referral with the pupil's lead professional or social worker, if they have one

For unauthorised term time holiday or leave of absence of 10 or more consecutive sessions please request an Education Penalty Notice.

To use this form, you must be:

  • a member of staff in a Stockport school
  • authorised to access pupil records and information about the child

You must complete a separate form for each child.

Before you start

You’ll need to tell us:

  • details of the unauthorised absence

  • your details

  • details of the child

  • the child’s Unique Pupil Number (UPN)

  • where the child lives

  • who the child lives with. This is usually the child’s parent

  • details of the child’s lead professional or social worker, if they have one

  • details of the actions taken at Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the Staged Attendance Process to improve attendance, including:

    • dates and details of contact with parents
    • reasons for absence or identified barriers to attendance
    • actions taken
    • evidence of early help involvement or reasons why it was not considered appropriate
    • information about other agency involvement
    • details of the School Attendance Meeting and personalised attendance plan

For pupils with a Team Around the Child (TAC), Team Around the Family (TAF) or Child Protection Plan, you must provide:

  • information about the actions taken to improve attendance in the child or family’s plan
  • outcomes of action taken
  • confirmation that the decision to make an enforcement referral was discussed and agreed with the lead professional

Enforcement action is only likely to be appropriate in cases where it is considered that the parent could be doing more to improve attendance. Your referral should also identify why you believe that to be the case.

Evidence

You must upload the following evidence with your referral:

  • the pupil’s current attendance certificate
  • any letters sent to parents about the child’s attendance or absences. This should include the Stage 2 letter confirming that medical evidence will be needed before further absences are authorised
  • notes from the School Attendance Meeting with parents where attendance concerns have been discussed
  • the action plan agreed as a result of the School Attendance Meeting

School Attendance Meeting notes and plans are not needed for pupils with a Team Around the Child (TAC), Team Around the Family (TAF) or Child Protection Plan.

How we use your data

We primarily use your data for processing the referral. This may be shared within Stockport Family and other government departments in accordance with our organisational privacy notice. We never sell your data to third parties or use it to market to you without your consent.