Do I have to go to school?

If you’re registered at a school and you’re of compulsory school age (5 to 16), your parents are legally responsible for making sure you get a suitable education. For most people, that means going to school regularly.

Your school keeps an attendance register. If you miss school on a certain day, you’ll be marked as absent. This can be either authorised or unauthorised.

Guidance

Below is some useful guidance that explains the law on school attendance:

What is an authorised absence?

An authorised absence is when your school has agreed with the reason why you are not at school. A school will agree with an absence if:

You are too ill to go to school and the school agrees to this. Sometimes the school may ask your parent(s) to provide proof that you have really been unwell although they should only do this if they have a reason to doubt you were ill
Your parent has asked for permission from the school beforehand, for example for a holiday or religious observation (schools will not usually approve absences for a holiday but should for an important religious day)
You have been excluded
You have a medical or dental appointment
You are on study leave
You are being educated off-site

If the school authorised your absence, then they have accepted the reason which has been given and they will not take any further action.

What is an unauthorised absence?

If the school hasn’t agreed with the reason you’re not there, they may record it as an unauthorised absence. If you’re regularly absent without authorisation, the school and the Local Authority can take action. Your parents might get a fine or, in some cases, they could be taken to court by the Local Authority. However, in the first instance, they should be supporting you and working out how to get you back into school.

If you’re feeling scared or worried about going to school for any reason, talk to your parents or a teacher so your concerns can be addressed.