Managing Attendance Fines

The Attendance Fines feature in Arbor allows schools to efficiently manage and track fines related to unauthorised student absences. This tool supports schools in adhering to DfE guidelines by providing a clear process for identifying students who meet the criteria for fines and managing the associated records.

This feature is designed to streamline the workflow for attendance officers and school administrators responsible for following up on absences.

Who can access this feature?

• It is available in all plans and users need Student Profile: Attendance: Administer All Students permissions to access it

Key Functionality

The Attendance Fines feature provides the following key functionality:

• Automated Identification: The system automatically displays students who have been absent for 5 days (10 sessions) within a 10-week rolling period, based on the "Good school week" calculation.
• Fine Issuance Tracking: Arbor allows schools to record when a fine has been issued to a student and links it to the specific attendance marks. This prevents the same absence from being used to issue multiple fines.
• Fine Waiving: The system enables schools to document when a decision has been made not to issue a fine, including any relevant notes or reasons.
• Fine Limit Tracking: Arbor tracks the number of fines issued to each student, ensuring that the maximum limit of two fines in a three-year period is enforced.

Navigating to the Attendance Fines Page

To access the Attendance Fines page:

• Go to Students
• Select Attendance
• Go to Absentees
• Click on Attendance Fines

Important Business Rules

When using the Attendance Fines feature, please note the following business rules:

• Pending Status: When a student's unauthorised absences reach 5 days (10 sessions) within the 10-week period, their record will appear on the Attendance Fines page with a "Pending" status.
• Issuing or Waiving Fines: Schools have the discretion to either issue a fine or waive it. This action can be recorded within Arbor.
• Fine Limit: A student can receive a maximum of two fines within a three-year period.
• Fine Limit Reached: If a student exceeds the fine limit, subsequent absences that meet the criteria will be flagged with a "Fine limit reached" status.
• Communication with Guardians: Arbor does not automate communication with guardians regarding fines. Schools must coordinate with their Local Authority (LA) for the official fining process and communication.