Holiday Leave Entitlement
As you will already be aware the Government have recently introduced some
significant changes to attendance regulations for pupils at school.
The most important of these is in relation to term-time family holidays. Absence
during term time as a result of term time holidays interrupts continuity of teaching
and learning, disrupts the educational progress of individual children and creates
disruption in school. We actively discourage parents from arranging holidays during
term time and will only authorise absence for such holidays in exceptional
circumstances.
Below is a quotation directly from the Department for Education Circular:
'Amendments to the 2006 regulations remove references to family holiday and
extended leave as well as the statutory threshold of ten school days. The amendments
make clear that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time
unless there are exceptional circumstances.'
We draw your attention particularly to the second sentence of this paragraph. Clearly
there are many situations which may constitute exceptional circumstances, but as a
generality High Greave Schools interpret 'exceptional' in this context as being of
unique and significant emotional, educational or spiritual value to the child, which
outweighs the loss of teaching time.
This interpretation will have different parameters from one case to another, and
whilst it will be important to look at the whole situation in making decisions about any
individual request, the normality will be that requests will be refused.
As a rule, the financial factor when a parent claims that they are unable to afford a
holiday during school holidays when prices may be significantly higher than in term
time, should not constitute an exceptional circumstance.
Also, we will not grant leave if:
 A child’s attendance record over the previous 20 week period is less than 95% even if any previous absence was due to unavoidable causes such as illness;
 The period of leave coincides with the start of term, or is near to or coincides
with tests, SATs, exams or other significant events in the school calendar.
In addition to this new legislation there have been new regulations in place from
September in which the imposition of penalty fines for parents and carers taking
children out of school in unauthorised circumstances will now be imposed more
strictly by the Local Authority. The fixed notice penalty for taking unauthorised term
time holidays currently stands at £60 per child, per parent.
May we therefore ask that you respect these new regulations under which we must
now work, and that if you do need to take your child out of school during term time,
you make very clear in your request how the circumstances are exceptional. If this is
not clear then under the new legislation, we will not be allowed to grant leave and will
have to issue a penalty notice with the Local Authority.
Yours sincerely
Matt Freeston
Executive Head Teacher
Yours sincerely
Yours sincerely
Rachel Taylor
Head of School - Infants
Robin Bone
Head of School - Juniors
Leave of Absence During Term Time Request Form
I wish to apply for leave of absence during term time for:
Child’s Name
Date of leave requested
Class
First Day
Last Day
Number of school days absent
My child should return to school on
Failure to return within ten school days of this date without providing a reasonable
explanation could result in your child being removed from the school roll.
Reason for requesting leave of absence during term time
I understand that this will result in him/her missing important parts of their
educational entitlement. Should leave of absence not be authorised it will be for one
of the following reasons outlined below:
 A child’s attendance record over the previous 20 week period is less than 95% even if any previous absence was due to unavoidable causes such as illness
 The period of leave coincides with the start of term, or is near to or coincides
with tests, SATs, exams or other significant events in the school calendar
 The request does not constitute ‘exceptional circumstances’
Leave of Absence During Term Time Request - Reply
Dear _____________________
In relation to your request for absence received on _______________, I am writing to
you to inform you your request for leave
has been granted ____
has NOT been granted ____
If your request has not been granted it will be for one of the following reasons
 A child’s attendance record over the previous 20 week period is less than 95% even if any previous absence was due to unavoidable causes such as illness
 The period of leave coincides with the start of term, or is near to or coincides
with tests, SATs, exams or other significant events in the school calendar
 The request does not constitute ‘exceptional circumstances’
In the case of a refusal to grant leave can I remind you of the following quotation
from the Department for Education circular:
'Amendments to the 2006 regulations remove references to family holiday and
extended leave as well as the statutory threshold of ten school days. The amendments
make clear that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time
unless there are exceptional circumstances.'
Furthermore, regulations have been in place from September in which the imposition
of penalty fines for parents and carers taking children out of school in unauthorised
circumstances will now be imposed more strictly by the Local Authority. The fixed
notice penalty for taking unauthorised term time holidays currently stands at £60 per
child, per parent. If your child does not attend on the dates specified in your request
we will have no choice but to contact the Local Authority and recommend a Fixed
Penalty Notice be issued.