Statutory absence reporting general guidance and definitions.
The following Granicus forms have been designed in order to comply with DfE statutory reporting requirements for 10 days unauthorised absence and 15 days illness absence. The definitions below explain the detail of the information that schools need to share with the Local Authority and why this information is required.
Attendance returns: providing the local authority with the names and addresses of all pupils of compulsory school age who fail to attend school regularly, or have been absent for a continuous period of ten school days, where their absence has been recorded with one or more of the codes statistically classified as unauthorised (G, N, O, and/or U). Local authorities must agree the frequency that attendance returns are to be provided with all schools in their area. This should be no less frequently than once per calendar month.
Sickness returns: providing the local authority with the full name and address of all pupils of compulsory school age who have been recorded with code I (illness) and who the school has reasonable grounds to believe will miss 15 days consecutively or cumulatively because of sickness. Only one sickness return is required for a continuous period of sickness in a school year. This is to help the school and local authority to agree any provision needed to ensure continuity of education for pupils who cannot attend because of health needs, in line with the statutory guidance on education for children with health needs who cannot attend school.