Term dates & Holidays
Term Dates
You can download a copy of our school term dates by clicking the link below:
Leave of Absence Requests during term time
Parents who want the school to consider granting leave of absence in school term time should complete the request for leave form and send it to the head teacher. The form should be sent to the school in time for the request to be considered well before the desired period of absence. Head teachers cannot authorise any leave of absence unless the request is received before the period of absence begins.
Where parents have children in more than one school a separate request must be made to each school.
Guidance Notes
Schools can only agree a leave of absence for exceptional circumstances and all requests must be made in advance by a parent who the pupil normally lives with. Schools are then expected to consider each application individually, taking into account the specific facts and circumstances and relevant background context behind the request.
If a leave of absence is granted, it is for the school to determine the length of the time the pupil can be away from school. Generally, the Department of Education does not consider a need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation to be an exceptional circumstance. Therefore, any leave taken for the purpose of a holiday is unlikely to be regarded as an exceptional circumstance.
If a parent does not request the leave and it is suspected that the child has been taken on holiday, the parent will be informed in a letter from the school and will be requested to provide evidence to support the reason for the leave of absence.
Should the school agree there are exceptional circumstances and grant leave of absence, but the child does not return to school at the time s/he was expected to (i.e. following the expiry of the granted leave of absence period) this absence will be recorded as unauthorised. This will result in a penalty notice being issued.
Should the school decide not to grant leave of absence and parents still take their child out of school, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised, all schools must consider referring to the Local Authority for a Penalty Notice to be issued.
From 19th August, 2024, the Law has changed in respect of penalty notices, a penalty notice allows parents to discharge an offence by paying a one-off penalty without the matter being referred to court where they could receive a fine. Penalty notices can be issued for term time holidays and where children are absent from school without good cause.
Please note that a maximum of two penalty notices can be issued in a three-year period, which begins after the first penalty notice is issued. Therefore, should you meet the criteria a third time, you will be prosecuted for the offence of failing to ensure your child’s regular attendance at school. See below:
1st Penalty notice issued will be for £160, but reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days.
2nd Penalty notice issued will be for £160 will no early payment reduction
No further penalty notices, the matter will be referred to the Magistrates Court with a potential fine of £1000 and a criminal record.
All penalty notices are issued per child, per parent, so two parents with two children would in the first instance receive penalty notices of 4 x £160 = £640, reduced to £320 is paid early.
Additional information is available by visiting: https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/education/Education-welfare/Attendance.aspx