Leave of Absence

Leave of Absence

Parents do not have an automatic right to remove their child from school during term time for the purpose of a holiday and are strongly advised not to do so. Parents should be aware that if their child is absent for 10 school days they will miss 5% of their education during that academic year. Parents wishing to take their child out of school during term time must send a written request to the head teacher before arrangements are made. Documentary evidence of leave and return dates may be required in order to process your request. Retrospective requests will not be considered and therefore will result in the absence being categorised as unauthorised. Each request will be considered individually and will take the following factors into account:

  • Purpose of the leave  
  • Circumstances of the request
  • Length of the proposed leave and the likely impact of this on the child’s education  
  • The pupil’s general absence/attendance record
  • Proximity of SATs or other statutory assessments  
  • Previous term time holidays taken  
  • When the request was made  
  • The timing of the absence e.g. at the beginning of a term absences will not be authorised.

All requests for leave of absence will receive a written response. If the permission to take leave is not granted and the pupil is absent, the absence will be unauthorised. In such cases the school may refer the matter to the Education Welfare Service who may issue a Penalty Notice.

Leave of Absence Application