School attendance laws changed in 2024 and a national approach has been rolled out. As a result, our Attendance Policy has been updated. Please see the ‘Helping Parents Understand Penalty Notice Fines For School Attendance’ Hertfordshire guidance below.

As I am sure you appreciate, we have a legal duty to adhere to the new regulations. Whilst approving an absence is still at the discretion of a headteacher, there are very clear guidelines as to what can and cannot be authorised. Whilst we understand the reasoning behind taking children out for days and holidays, often linked to the higher costs involved within school holidays, this is not something that we can authorise or support. If you are requesting a leave of absence for your child then you will need to obtain a form from the school office. This is available electronically or as a paper copy. When submitting a leave of absence form, please be aware that decisions made are not in any way judgemental but are simply the school acting in line with the regulations now in place.

At Mandeville, we set an individual pupil attendance target of 96%. If we have concerns surrounding your child’s attendance, we will contact you to explore how we can work in partnership to support, liaising with the Hertfordshire Local Authority Attendance Officer as needed.