Holidays During Term Time
Parents have a legal duty to ensure their son’s regular attendance at College. No parent can demand leave of absence for the purposes of a holiday as of right.
Holiday leave will not be given for students whose attendance falls below an acceptable level.
In deciding whether leave for a family holiday in term time should be approved, the Headteacher has to consider the circumstances of the request, the impact of the absence on the child’s education, particularly in terms of continuity of learning, and have regard to the overall attendance pattern of the student.
Before requesting a holiday you need to think about:
- The lessons you child will miss
- The difficulty they will have catching up
- The effect it will have on how well they will do in college
- Research shows that 17 days missed from school equal a GCSE grade
- 90% attendance = 1 missed day per week
For your information:
- You do not have the right to take your child on holiday during term time without the permission of your child’s Headteacher
- The College will consider the following before authorising a holiday during term time or not:
- Your child’s age and ability
- Their attendance record (it must, as a minimum, be above the individual school target)
- The time of the academic year the holiday falls
- The College cannot legally approve more than 10 days holiday in an academic year unless the Headteacher agrees there are exceptional circumstances and cannot agree holidays during end of key stage national tests
- If you remove your child for an authorised holiday the Headteacher may ask the Education Welfare Service (EWS) to issue a penalty notice which carries a fine of £50 to £100 per parent per child