Attendance at School
Leave in Term Time - Regulations on Attendance at school from the 1st September 2013
The Department of Education issued substantial changes to the Attendance at School Regulations from September 2013 which prevents Headteachers from granting leave during term-time. The actual guidance states:-
‘Amendments to the 2006 regulations remove reference to family holidays and extended leave as well as the statutory threshold of ten days. The amendments make clear that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Headteachers should determine the number of school days a child can be away from school if the leave is granted’
In addition to this Telford and Wrekin Council, from 1st September 2013 amended the criteria for issuing Holiday Penalty Notices (HPN) these are now issued for 10 consecutive sessions of absence, which is 5 school days.
Parents should apply to the Executive Headteacher to request leave in term time by completing a request form. (DfE guidance states schools should not authorise leave retrospectively).
The Government has renewed appeals to parents not to take their children out of school during term time. The Governors and the Executive Headteacher of the school support this and have decided that students will only be given permission to take leave in term time if there are exceptional circumstances. Each application will be considered and the Executive Headteacher will determine the duration of any leave if it is agreed and authorised. However, if the application is not agreed and the absence occurs the dates will be unauthorised. Parents will be notified of any decision in writing. This notification may be hand delivered directly to the parent or posted to the parents’ home address.
As a school we are asked to inform you that, in line with Telford and Wrekin Council Policy, unauthorised absence may be subject to a penalty notice fine of £60 payable per parent, per child, increasing to £120 each if not paid within 21 days. If this fine is not paid within 28 days this may lead to court proceedings under section 444 (1) of the Education Act 1996.
Penalty Notices
There are 3 types of penalty notices:
- Unauthorised absence. A penalty notice warning is issued following 20 unauthorised absences in a term. If the pupil has any further absence in a specified 15 school day period, the penalty notice is issued.
- Exclusion Penalty Notice an excluded pupil must not be present in a public place during school hours during the first five days of a fixed term exclusion.
- Holiday Penalty Notices (see above) a Holiday Penalty Notice can be issued to each parent, for each child for each unauthorised holiday during term time of 10 consecutive sessions or more (5 school days) from 1st September 2013.