Leave of Absence

Requests for Leave of Absence from School on Annual Holiday During Term Time

Regulation 8 of the Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 1995 states:

“(1) Leave of absence may only be granted by a person authorised in that behalf by the proprietor (i.e. the Governors) of the school

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(3) Subject to paragraph (4), on application made by a parent with whom the pupil normally resides, a pupil may be granted leave of absence from the school to go away on holiday.

(4) Save in exceptional circumstances, a pupil shall not in pursuance of paragraph (3) be granted more than ten school days leave of absence in any school year.”

1. A form should be completed by the parent or guardian and submitted to the Headteacher at the child’s school as early as possible before the holiday begins. Absence without the Headteacher’s approval will be unauthorised, and therefore illegal.
2. Parents should not assume that approval will automatically be given.
3. If more than one child from the same family is to be absent from the same School, only one form need be completed, but each child must be named on the form.
4. If the request for absence is for more than ten school days, the parent should write to the Headteacher to explain why the circumstances are so exceptional as to warrant such an absence.