Request for leave of Absence
A request for leave of absence should be submitted to the school using the Leave of Absence Form, which can be found on the school website, or a copy can be collected from the office. The form must be completed and submitted to the school office at least two weeks prior to the date of absence requested.
A leave of absence request will be considered in a fair and consistent manner by the Headteacher, taking into account the reasoning behind the absence, whether the request was submitted at least two weeks in advance and the current attendance data for each pupil in question.
In line with current legislation, Headteachers are only allowed to grant leave of absence from school in exceptional circumstances. The following situations could be considered as exceptional circumstances:
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religious observance
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family wedding of a close relative
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an educational purpose; a fixed date sporting event or a music exam.
Exceptional circumstances are rare, significant, unavoidable and short; ‘unavoidable’ should be taken to mean an event that could not be scheduled for another time.
On most occasions, the following scenarios cannot be considered ‘exceptional’:
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family holidays or breaks
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parents profession or place of work making it difficult to align school and work holidays
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educational visits arranged by family during school time
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family birthdays or other events.
Following an application for term time absence, parents/carers will be notified of the Headteacher’s decision. If the circumstances are not considered to be exceptional, it is possible that a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) may be issued. FPN’s are requested in line with current guidance from the local authority and are issued on a ‘per parent, per child’ basis.
Medical appointments, where possible, should be booked outside of school hours. If a medical appointment is booked within school time, evidence of this appointment will need to be provided.