It is expected that Leave of Absence will normally be taken during school holidays.

Leave of absence may only be granted by a person authorised in that behalf by the proprietor of the school. As from 1st September 2013, the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 amended Regulation 7 to prohibit the proprietor of a maintained school from granting leave of absence to a pupil, except where an advance application has been made by the parent with whom the pupil normally resides, and the proprietor considers that there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application.

Taking your child out of school during term time could be detrimental to your child’s educational progress. A pupil who takes 10 days absence will only attain 94.7% attendance in the year. 10 days absence also means the pupil will miss 50 hours of education.

There is no entitlement to parents to take their child out of school during term time, however, you may apply to the school for leave of absence if you believe there are exceptional circumstances.

If the absence is not authorised and the holiday is taken, the case will be referred to the Education Welfare Service who may issue a Penalty Notice for £120 (or £60 if paid within 21 days) to each parent for each child taken out of school.

Please note occasional days for birthdays and treats cannot be authorised and cheaper prices cannot be considered to be a valid reason. Medical appointments, if at all possible should be made outside school hours.

Continuity of learning can be seriously disrupted by absence from school, causing disadvantages to the student’s educational opportunities.

Leave of Absence forms can be viewed and downloaded in Word and PDF format using the links below.