Request for Leave of Absence Form
Please click here to download the form.
Special Leave and attendance
Children of school age who are registered at school must, by law, attend that school regularly. Regular attendance is important, not just because the law requires it but because it is the best way of ensuring that a child makes the most of the educational opportunities which are available to him/her. There may be occasions when a child has to miss school – for example if he or she is unwell. Any other absence should be kept to an absolute minimum. In particular, parents must avoid taking their children out of school during term time in order to go on holiday. Satisfactory attendance is counted as attendance at or above 96%.
What the law says
The law makes it clear that parents do not have any right to take a child out of school for the purpose of a term time holiday except in exceptional circumstances. Headteachers can no longer discretionally authorise holiday leave during term time. At Links governors have decided that these exceptional circumstances will only be considered if a child’s attendance is already at or above satisfactory attendance levels of 96% for the ‘rolling’ year prior to a special leave application being made.
The following reasons do not constitute an acceptable reason for leave to be granted during term time:~
- Availability of cheap holidays
- Availability of desired accommodation
- Poor weather experienced during school holiday periods
- Overlap with the beginning or end of term
How to apply for special leave during term time
Go to the office and ask for a special leave form (or available here)– this must be done at least 2 weeks in advance of your proposed leave dates. Fill in the form for the attention of the Headteacher. You should expect to hear from us within 7 working days. Term time holidays cannot be granted unless there are exceptional circumstances which might justify it and evidence provided accordingly.
What if I decide to go away anyway? - What will happen?
If you take your child out of school regardless then this will be counted as unauthorised absence – this is the same as truancy and is treated in the same way – a referral to Education Welfare. Truancy is dealt with severely by the law and you risk fine and prosecution.
