As parents, you have a legal responsibility to ensure your child’s attendance at school. Holidays should only be taken during the school holiday period. All pupils are expected to attend school regularly, unless the absence is authorised by the Headteacher. During the academic year, pupils are at school for 190 days and at home for 175 days.

Please complete and fill in this form if you want the Headteacher to consider your request for your child’s leave of absence for exceptional circumstances. If you take your child out of school without the approval of the school, you may be liable to receive a Penalty Notice for failing to ensure you child’s regular school attendance. We may ask for proof to back up your request.

In accordance with the above Regulations, requests for leave of absence are treated sympathetically, but only in exceptional circumstances can they be approved.

A  Penalty Notice may be issued to parents/carers who are failing to secure their child’s regular school attendance and are failing to engage with supportive measures to improve attendance proposed by the school or Education Welfare Officer. 

Penalty notices may be issued for periods of unauthorised leave of absence of 5 days or more, each parent is liable to receive a penalty notice for each child who is absent.

If the absence exceeds 20 days, your child’s name will be removed from the school roll and you will have to reapply for a place on your return.

The Penalty Notice is £60 per child per parent/carer, if paid within 21 days or £120 if paid after 21 days but within 28 days. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice will result in you being served a summons to appear at the Magistrates Court.

Please be aware that each parent is liable to receive a Penalty Notice for each child who incurs unauthorised absences, for example, if there are two parents and one child, each parent will receive a Penalty Notice. If there are two parents and two children incurring unauthorised absences, each parent will receive two Penalty Notices, which in this case would amount to £120 each if paid within 21 days.

The Headteacher will consider the reasons for the request carefully, taking into account the effect on the continuity of your child’s learning and your child’s overall attendance rate, and then may authorise up to five days of absence. The Headteacher will notify you of the decision within five days.

For further information, please refer to our School Attendance Policy by clicking here.

Please select the PDF below to download the Exceptional Leave of Absence Form and return to the school office.