As you are aware pupils of school age must, by law, attend school regularly. If your child is away from school you need to inform us immediately either by telephone or letter.

Please do not ask for leave of absence for a family holiday in term-time if you can possibly avoid this. If you have absolutely no alternative other than going on holiday in school time then please can you:

• Avoid absences when your child is either preparing or taking examinations.

• Give schools a minimum of 2 weeks notice prior to your child being absent.

Schools do not have to agree to absences for holidays, however we have the power to do so. Any more than ten school days holiday in any academic year cannot legally be authorised unless in exceptional circumstances.

We will consider every request for leave individually. Parents are requested to complete the appropriate form, which is available below or from the school. The most important consideration is the effect an absence would have on your child’s education. The Head teacher has the discretion to allow work to be provided for your child while they are away.

If we do agree to a holiday in term-time, it is vital your child returns to school promptly. If a child fails to return to school on an agreed date, and no valid reason is provided, we may remove your child from the school nominal roll. Therefore your child would no longer have a place at school. In this instance you may need to apply to a new school, possibly outside of your local school catchment area.

Please be aware that absences during term-time can have a very disruptive effect on your child’s continuity of learning. Consequently there is a risk of underachievement which we must jointly seek to avoid.

Forms to request a holiday are available from the School Office