Attendance

Leave of Absence in Term Time

“Evidence shows that children with poor attendance are unlikely to succeed academically and are more likely to be NEET (not in education, employment of training) when they leave school”.

“If children are taken away for a two week family holiday every year and have an average number of days off for sickness and appointments, they will have missed the equivalent of a year off school by the time they are sixteen”.

“There is a clear link between poor attendance at school and lower academic achievement”.

Improving Attendance at School – Charlie Taylor pub.  DfE 2012

Leave of Absence

• The law states a leave of absence may only be granted by a school if an application is made in advance and if it considers there are exceptional circumstances relating to the application.

Expectations

• A leave of absence is granted entirely at the school’s discretion. Permission for a Leave of Absence from a school may only be given by a person who the school’s proprietor has authorised to do so (an authorised person). 

• Schools must judge each application individually considering the specific facts and circumstances and relevant background context behind each request. 

• Generally, a need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation would not constitute an exceptional circumstance.

• Where a leave of absence is granted, the school will determine the number of days a pupil can be absent from school.

• When making an application for Leave of Absence parents are advised to give sufficient information and time to allow the Head teacher the opportunity to consider all the exceptional circumstances and to notify the parents of their decision. The school may also request further information on the application and supporting documentation where appropriate.

• It is advised that if the resident parent has not received notification or a response regarding the leave of absence application, it is their responsibility to ascertain if the leave is authorised prior to the start of the leave.

• The school can only consider applications for Leave of Absence which are made by the resident parent. i.e the parent with whom the child normally resides.

• Where applications for Leave of Absences are made in advance and refused, the child is expected to be in school on the dates set out in the application. If the child is absent during that period, it will be recorded as an “unauthorised” absence. Where a leave of absence is requested but additional days take either prior to or after the request, they may be considered as part of the leave of absence.

• Leave of Absences which are not made in advance cannot be authorised in line with legislation.  This will result in the absence being recorded as ‘unauthorised’. 

• All matters of unauthorised absence relating to a Leave of Absence will be referred to the Warwickshire Attendance Service of Warwickshire County Council. Penalty notices are issued in accordance with Warwickshire County Council’s Code of Conduct for Penalty Notices and in the first instance, as an alternative to prosecution proceedings. 

• Where a Penalty Notice is not paid within the timeframe set out in that Notice, the matter will be referred to Warwickshire County Council’s Legal Services to consider instigating criminal prosecution proceedings under S444 of Education Act 1996.

Leave of Absence taken in the academic year 2024-25

The law relating to Penalty Notices changed with effect from 19 August 2024. Therefore, Penalty Notices issued for Leave of Absence taken from September 2024 will be issued in accordance with the updated legislation.

Penalty Notices are issued to each parent of each absent child, (for example 2 children and 2 parents, means each parent will receive 2 invoices – 4 in total). 

• First Leave of Absence Offence:  The amount of £160 to be paid within 28 days, this is reduced to £80 each child if paid within 21 days.

• Second Leave of Absence Offence within a 3 year period (from the date of issue of the first penalty notice): The amount of £160 paid within 28 days.  No reduced amount.

Third Leave of Absence offence within a 3 year period (from the date of issue of the first penalty notice). A Penalty Notice will not be issued and the matter will be referred to Warwickshire County Council’s Legal Services to consider instigating criminal prosecution proceedings under S444 of Education Act 1996

When to keep your child off school. - NHS guidance 

If you are in any doubt, ask a member of staff. 

Previous interpretations of the regulations where Head Teachers could grant pupils leave of absence of up to 10 days for the purpose of a two week family holiday in term time has been interpreted by some parents as a right to an automatic two week term-time holiday.  This is not acceptable and the rules have been strengthened to prevent this happening in the future.

For this reason the Government brought in new guidance tightening taking time off in term-time.  These new rules came into force in September 2013.  Headteachers are no longer permitted to authorise absence for holidays taken during term time.  They are permitted to grant leave only in exceptional circumstances.  If you think you have exceptional circumstances please talk to us without delay and before arrangements are entered into or money committed.

If exceptional circumstances are accepted the Headteacher will determine how much absence will be authorised.

Each application for leave of absence will be considered on a case by case basis and on its own merits.

We understand that holidays are generally less expensive during term time but this does NOT count as exceptional circumstances.

Parents please note:

Leave which is taken for the following reasons will not be authorised:

• Availability of cheaper holidays.
• Availability of desired accommodation.
• Poor weather experienced in school holidays.
• Overlap with beginning or end of term.

We greatly appreciate parental support to reduce the total amount of days lost due to holidays.  We are committed to working in partnership with you to enable your child to reach academic targets and to support their social development and for this to happen we need to keep individual attendance as high as possible and we all need to play our part.

Why attendance matters

• Less than 5 days absence = 98%+ attendance
• 14 days absence (approx) = 93.5% attendance
• 20 days absence (approx) = 90% attendance
• More than 30 days absence = 88% attendance

If a child achieves 80% attendance this means that they have missed approximately 40 days of education over the academic year, averaging 1 day per week.  If a child’s attendance equates to 80% over their time in secondary school they will miss more than a full year of education.

Be aware:

Holidays which are unauthorised should not be taken.  If they are taken, parents are in breach of their legal duty to ensure that their child attends school full time and may be subject to a Fixed Penalty Notice or prosecution through the courts.

Your child’s progress academically as well as socially is our shared priority.