Hartshead Junior & Infant School

Dear Parents and Carers,

If you were to make a request to take your child on holiday during term time, your reasons and evidence would have to fall into the categories outlined below under 'exceptional circumstances' or I would be unable to authorise the absence.

If you still choose to go on holiday, your child’s absence would be classed and recorded as ‘unauthorised’. Legally speaking ‘unauthorised absence’ is against the law and it could result in a fixed penalty fine.

A definition of ‘exceptional circumstances’

The school would authorise requests in these circumstances.

• Service personnel returning from active deployment
• Where inflexibility of the parents’ leave or working arrangement is part of the organisational or company policy. This would need to be evidenced by confirmation from the organisation/company
• Where leave is recommended as part of a parents’ or child’s rehabilitation from medical or emotional problems. Evidence must be provided by a Doctor or other health care professional
• When a family needs to spend time together to support each other during or after crisis.
• The school champions family values so attendance at important, one off family events such as the wedding of a close relative. 
• Other than reasons 1 and 2 above, regular requests, year on year, cannot be regarded as exceptional in any circumstances and cannot be authorised.

NB This is not an exhaustive list and Headteachers must consider the individual circumstances of each case when making a decision on this matter. A Headteacher may feel that there may be exceptional circumstances which do not fit these criteria and in these cases leave may be authorised.

Please see the Local Authority 'Advice and Information Leaflet on Regular School Attendance and The Law' at the link below.