DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION GUIDELINES
- Schools are not allowed to authorise any requests for children to be taken out of school for a holiday during term time.
- Requests for leave can only be granted in exceptional circumstances, and a holiday would not be considered exceptional.
- Requests for leave must also be made to the school in advance, as the DfE have told schools that they cannot authorise any absences after they have been taken. A Leave of Absence form can be collected from the school office - once completed it should be forwarded to the school office. All Leave of Absence requests will be considered on an individual basis.
- Even if a holiday/leave of absence is authorised by the school it will affect the child’s percentage attendance. Coupled with any periods of illness, it could mean that the child’s attendance becomes a cause for concern.
PARENTS MAY RECEIVE A PENALTY NOTICE IF THEIR CHILD IS ABSENT FROM SCHOOL WITHOUT PERMISSION. THE COST OF THESE NOTICES WILL BE £80 PER CHILD PER PARENT IF PAID WITHIN 21 DAYS, AND £160 IF PAID BETWEEN 22 AND 28 DAYS.
You can find further information on penalty notices for parents here.
Medical Appointments
If you need to take your child/children out of school during school hours under exceptional circumstances, you need to complete an exceptional leave form (below). A reminder that medical and dental appointments should be made outside of school hours unless in the case of emergencies.