Variations between schools

Please be aware that there can be term date variations between schools. 

Leave of Absence Requests

Often one of the biggest adjustments for any family once they have children of compulsory school age is recognising that family holidays need to be taken within the school holiday period. In exceptional circumstances there may be times when leave of absence from school for reasons other than holiday needs to be requested. Holiday is not deemed to be an exceptional circumstance.

In exceptional circumstances parents/carers should complete a leave of absence in term time request, available from the school office, to request time away from school. We strongly recommend that you request permission before planning any leave of absence. The request should be made in advance by the parent or carer with whom the child lives. This is the case even where it is another person who wishes to take the child out of school.

If your child goes on holiday in term time or takes leave of absence for other reasons without permission from the Executive Headteacher, the absences will be marked in the school register as unauthorised absences and this may result in a Truancy Penalty Notice of £60 (rising to £120) per parent per child being issued by the local authority. In some cases, parents may be prosecuted for the offence of failure to ensure regular attendance at school. Parents/carers should never simply discount the amount of a penalty notice from the cost of a cheaper holiday, because this is a criminal offence and, when doing so, they are always risking prosecution.