Procedure for the issue of penalty notices

Penalty notices will be issued by the Attendance Team, with the agreement of the Attendance and Safeguarding Manager. The Attendance and Safeguarding Manager will ensure that the issuing of penalty notices is closely monitored and evaluated and complements the other duties carried out by the Attendance Team.

No penalty notice will be issued without the issue of the relevant warning notice and the pursuance of relevant assessment of the individual case.

The Attendance Team will issue penalty notices by post

No one parent will receive more than two separate penalty notices resulting from the unauthorised absence of an individual child in any twelve month period.

The Attendance Team, on behalf of Stockton-on-Teees Borough Council, will receive and administer all referrals for the issue of penalty notices from all schools in its area including academies and free schools. These requests will be actioned providing:

• the information received meets the criteria for the issue of a penalty notice which is specified in the Code of Conduct and;
• all necessary information is provided to the Attendance Team in order to establish that an offence has been committed under Section 444 (1) of the Education Act 1996

The Attendance Team will ensure that duplicate penalty notices are not issued and that any action taken is compliant with the relevant legislation and that no conflict arises with other statutory interventions.

Each parent will receive a separate warning letter and penalty notice for each child.