A penalty notice is a fine given to parents whose child has unauthorised absences from school. You don't have to go to court if you get (and pay) a penalty notice.

The penalty notice will show the period of absence which the fine is for. If you pay the fine on time and in full, you won't be prosecuted. Please note, paying the fine won't stop you from having to make sure your child attends school regularly in the future.

We use penalty notices to try and raise levels of school attendance, which will help young people to achieve their full potential.

We think regular school attendance is very important, so penalty notices will usually be issued to parents:

• whose child is of compulsory school age, and has 10 or more unauthorised absences in the previous 10 school weeks
• who take their child on a leave of absence during term time

If your child isn't attending school regularly or takes a leave of absence which isn’t authorised by the headteacher, the school will send you a warning letter. The letter explains the penalties for failing to ensure your child attends school regularly.

Your child's school and the Education Welfare Service can offer you advice and support to make sure your child attends school regularly.

From August 2024, the first penalty notice is £160 if paid within 28 days, reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days.

If a parent receives a second notice for the same child in a rolling three-year period, the penalty notice will be £160 to be paid within 28 days, with no option for the amount to be reduced.

Any further offences relating to the same parent and child could lead to court action.

The easiest way to pay a penalty notice is online.

You'll need the number from the top of your penalty notice (for example, 'Penalty Notice No: 5569/030719'). Have a look at our example penalty notice to see where to find the penalty notice number.

You can also pay using a debit or credit card by calling 01642 726001.

You must pay the whole amount by the due date. You can't pay in instalments.

Details of how to pay can also be found in the penalty notice.

You can't appeal against a penalty notice.

We will only withdraw the penalty notice if you can prove that the fine shouldn't have been issued, or that it wasn't issued according to our code of conduct.

We've put together a list of frequently asked questions about penalty notices. You should be able to find an answer to your question in that list.