Leave of absence in term time – what you need to know

Only the school can grant a request for term time leave of absence. There is no requirement to authorise just because a request has been made.

The Anti-Social Behaviour Act (2003) gives the Local Authority the power to issue fixed penalty notices for unauthorised leave of absence during term time.

No parent can demand leave of absence for the purposes of a holiday as a right.

Any request for leave must be made in advance.

Holidays cannot be authorised retrospectively.

If the application for leave of absence in term time is made because of the parent’s workplace holiday arrangements then a letter from the employer explaining why the leave of absence must be taken in term time must be attached to the form on proper letter-headed paper.

If important work has been missed by the pupil due to the parents making a request for leave of absence for a holiday, the parents should not expect special arrangements to be made by the school for that pupil to catch up that work.

The circumstances of each individual request will be taken into account. The following factors may be relevant but this should not be regarded as a comprehensive list:

• Parent’s workplace holiday arrangements if supported by a letter from employer.
• The overall attendance of the child for the previous academic year or 3 terms.
• If taking leave of absence in the first half of the first term would have a negative impact on pupil progress.
• If a previous holiday has been taken in the same academic year.
• Timing of internal and/or external examinations/assessments.
• The reason given by a parent for requesting a leave of absence in term time.

Leave of Absence Request Form

Before you download the Leave of Absence Request Form make sure you’ve read and understood the information above.