Attendance contract
An attendance contract is a formal written agreement between the parents/carers, the school and the council. The aim of the attendance contract process is to identify any barriers to improved attendance, and to create a plan to overcome them.
The parents/carers and the pupil (if they're old enough) will be invited to an initial meeting to draw up the plan. This is a formal document that identifies the next steps for everyone involved.
The progress of the plan is then reviewed at a further meeting (typically after 4 to 6 weeks). If necessary, further steps and targets will be identified at that review meeting, and one or more further review meetings fixed.
An attendance contract is not legally binding but does allow a more formal route for families, schools and the council to work together to improve attendance.
An attendance contract is not a punishment; it’s intended to provide support and offer an alternative to prosecution.
It’s not compulsory for parents/carers to enter an attendance contract, but they're encouraged to participate fully when invited to an attendance contract meeting.
Where parents/carers do not engage with the attendance contract process and/or fail to take reasonable steps to improve their child’s attendance, it’s likely that they’ll face prosecution.