Attendance
Leave in Term Time & Unauthorised Absences
Absence from school can have a serious impact on your child’s education. All requests for leave in term time must be made in advance of confirming any arrangements and may be granted at the Headteacher’s discretion dependant on the circumstances.
It is a legal requirement for parents/carers to obtain the permission of the Headteacher before removing their child in order to take any leave in term time. Parents do not have an automatic right to take their children out of school for leave during term time and may be issues with a Penalty Notice if they do so without prior arrangement with the Headteacher. The legislations only allows the Headteacher to authorise such leave in exceptional circumstances.
If pupils accumulate a number of unauthorised absence’s, school may have to consider referral to external agencies, such as the Local Authority Pupil Attendance Support Team the use of Penalty Notices may also be considered under certain circumstances, including where leave is taken without agreement.
A Holiday Request MUST be completed on the school website or 'School Spider 'app if you are taking your child out of school in term time, even if this is only for a day or two. Once requested, it will be authorised or refused with accompanying reasons why the decision is made.
Consideration will be made to the following:
- Will leave at this time be detrimental to the pupil's education?
- will they miss any national assessments?
- Is their attendance a cause for concern?
- Have they already requested leave this year?
- Do they have any absences recorded as unauthorised this year?