Leave of absence in term time is discouraged by the government and indeed, by our governing body here in school.

 

In line with our Attendance & Absence Policy, parents will be required to request leave of absence in advance. All requests for absence will be handled by the Head of School - the decision to grant or refuse the request will be at their sole discretion, taking the best interests of the pupil and the impact on the pupil's education into account. This decision is not subject to appeal; however, the school will be sympathetic to requests for absence by parents and will not deny any request without good reason.

 

The school will only grant a pupil a leave of absence in exceptional circumstances. In order to have requests for a leave of absence considered, the school will expect parents to contact the Head of School in writing at least four weeks prior to the proposed start date of the leave of absence, providing the reason for the proposed absence and the dates during which the absence would be expected to occur.

 

Our leave of absence request forms can be found on the carousel in the main foyer and on the link below.

 

Should you choose to take your child out of school and the absences are recorded as unauthorised, a request will be made to the Local Authority who may issue a Penalty Notice.

 

First Offence

The first time a Penalty Notice is issued for an unauthorised absence, the fine amount will be:

• £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days.

• Increasing to £160 if paid between days 22-28.

 

Second Offence (within 3 years)

The second time a Penalty Notice is issued for unauthorised absence the amount will be:

• £160 per parent (who allowed the holiday), per child, payable within 28 days.

 

Third Offence and Any Further Offences (within 3 years)

The third time an offence is committed a Penalty Notice will not be issued and local authorities will need to consider other available measures to address the absence concerns. This may mean that cases are presented before a Magistrate's Court. Prosecution can result in criminal records and fines of up to £2,500. Cases found guilty in the Magistrates' Court can show on the parent's future DBS certificate due to 'failure to secure a child's regular attendance'.

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Part payments or payment plans are not available and fines must be paid in full within 21 or 28 days, at the rate specified within the Penalty Notice.

 

Parents/ carers have a duty to ensure their child/ children's regular attendance at school and failure to do so is an offence under Section 444 of the Education Act 1996.