Absence during term time

Parents should:

• call the absence line, 01304 840370 (dial 1) , on the first morning of all absences before 9.30am, telling us the reason for being away;
• keep in touch by telephone or email, if a child is away from school for a longer period;
• tell us about any planned absences in advance. Only request leave of absence if it is for an exceptional circumstance. Complete the leave of absence form - school office 

Every half-day absence must be labelled by the school as either ‘authorised’ or ‘unauthorised’:

Authorised absence

An absence is authorised when parents tell us an allowable reason for being away from school.

Allowable reasons include:

being too unwell to come to school;

emergency medical or dental appointments;

religious events, when one day each year will be authorised;

visits to another school, tests or exams;

any other ‘exceptional circumstances’, explained below.

Unauthorised absence

An absence is unauthorised when a child is away from school for reasons that are not allowed. By law, unauthorised absences are an offence and can be liable to legal action or a fixed penalty fine.

Unauthorised reasons include:

parents keeping children off school unnecessarily,

absences that have not been properly explained,

travel during term-time, including family holidays, that have not been agreed,

repeated or persistent non-specific illness, for example, ‘poorly/unwell’,

absence of other siblings if one child is ill,

absence because a parent is ill,

oversleeping,

inadequate clothing/uniform,

confusion over school term and holiday dates,

medical and/or dental appointments of more than half a day without very good reason,

child’s and/or family birthdays,

any routine family event or trip, for example, shopping.

where the reason for absence is given as illness and occurs either side of a school holiday, medical proof will be sought. Without this proof the absence will not be authorised.

The school may instruct the Local Authority to issue a Fixed-Penalty notice for any unauthorised travel during term-time.