Letter to Parents

Dear Parent

Family holidays in term time

The vast majority of pupils of school age attend school regularly as required by law. Sometimes parents ask if children can be absent from school to go on a family holiday. This letter gives you some advice.

Pupil's absence during term time can seriously disrupt their continuity of learning. Not only do they miss the teaching provided on the days they are away, they are also less prepared for lessons after their return. This can create the risk of poor results for your child.

It is particularly important that you do not plan for your child to be absent during the run up to SATs or examinations at 16+. Such absence would mean that your child is not assessed and this may affect your child's progress. Your child's school will advise you on these dates.

If you want your child to be away from school on a family holiday for up to two weeks (10 school days), you need to ask the school to approve the absence, two weeks in advance.

Schools have the power to grant leave of absence but do not have to agree to this. They cannot legally authorise more than ten days unless there are really exceptional circumstances. All requests for holiday leave will be considered individually and will be agreed if there is good reason. For schools, the most important consideration is the effect the absence would have on your child's education.

If a holiday in term time is agreed, it is very important that your child returns to school promptly. Where a pupil fails to return within ten school days of the agreed return date and there is no good reason for this absence, the school may remove that child's name from the school roll. This means the child would no longer have a place at the school. If you take a holiday without the school's permission or the child fails to return on the agreed date, subsequent absence will be unauthorised, which is considered to be truancy.

Please consider this advice very seriously before you take your child out of school during term time and help their school in providing the education for your child to which he or she is entitled. If you require any further information, please contact the school.

Yours sincerely,

Gareth Barker
Head Teacher