Leave of Absence
Leave can be granted only by the Head on recommendation from the Pastoral Team. Parents will be expected to use the school’s official leave of absence request form.
Please click here to download a Leave Of Absence Form. This can be returned by giving an physical copy to the school reception, or by emailing a copy of your child’s pastoral manager.
Holiday Leave
Head teachers are not allowed to authorise any leave of absence, including holidays, except in exceptional circumstances. Two questions will be applied to any application.
These are:
- Could this leave reasonably be taken at another time?
- Will the leave unduly affect the child’s education and progress?
If the answer to either of these questions is yes, the application will be refused. Should a parent/carer decide to take their child out of school when leave has been refused, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised and this will be picked up by the Education Welfare Service.
Short -Term Leave
The School can legally grant short-term leave for family reasons. It is for the Head to determine this.
Dental and medical appointments would constitute an authorised absence. However, we would always ask that appointments are made before or after school whenever possible. Pupils must sign out at Pastoral Base when leaving the site for an appointment during the day and sign in when returning.
The School may, exceptionally, sanction limited absence for young carers until other arrangements can be made. The Head will set a time limit for such absences in consultation with the Deputy Head. The Head may also seek advice from the Local Authority or appropriate agency before coming to a decision.
Traveller Absences
Traveller families must have travelling absences agreed with the Headteacher. Traveller packs will be provided for those students which include set work from teachers to be completed by the student.
Authorised Vs Unauthorised Absence
An authorised absence means that you have provided evidence for an absence, that the school accept the reason you have given for your child’s absence and have marked the register accordingly.
An unauthorised absence means that you have given no reason for your child’s absence or that the school do not accept the reason you have given. The law states that parent/carers must ensure that their child regularly attends the school where they are registered. Should your child fail to attend school regularly, legal action may be taken against you.