This is the place to apply for a planned absence.

After you have read this page - click here to complete the: 

APPLICATION FOR EXCEPTIONAL LEAVE OF ABSENCE DURING TERM TIME

Promoting good attendance and reducing absences, including persistent absences, is a key part of our role at Round Hill. The Government states that headteachers cannot grant any leave of absence for holidays during term time unless there are “exceptional circumstances”.

Parents requesting leave of absence due to “exceptional circumstances” should complete this form at least four weeks before the anticipated start date. Applications should be made before the leave is arranged, otherwise it may not be granted.

School will only authorise leave of absence during term time where there are exceptional circumstances.

School will NOT authorise holidays during term time.

The following are examples of reasons not deemed to be exceptional:

• My work does not allow me to take holidays during the school holiday periods
• Days overlapping with the beginning or end of term
• My child needs a holiday at quieter times due to their needs
• Our holiday has been gifted/arranged by others and we did not have a choice of dates
• My child has good or 100% attendance
• Availability of cheaper holidays and travel arrangements
• We booked the holiday before checking with the school
• Holiday dates of siblings/family at other schools are different
• Day trips/Birthday plans. It's a special sporting fixture/show/event I want my child to attend

If a child has been reported as unwell and a holiday is suspected, school will report to the local authority for a penalty notice fine. School is expected to carry out home visits.

School will look at child’s overall attendance figures, when considering referring to the Local Authority for issuing of a fixed penalty notice.

Parents will receive a warning of penalty notice for unauthorised leave.

School will notify parents of penalty notice, should unauthorised leave of absence be taken (10 sessions over a 10- week rolling period).

The law on School Attendance and Right to a Full-Time Education 

The law entitles every child of compulsory school age to a full-time education suitable to their age and any special educational need they may have. It is the legal responsibility of every parent to make sure their child receives that education either by attendance at a school or by education otherwise than at a school. 

Where parents decide to have their child registered at school, they have an additional legal duty to ensure their child attends that school regularly. This means their child must attend every day that the school is open, except in a small number of allowable circumstances such as being too ill to attend or being given permission from the school for an absence in advance.  

At Round Hill

At Round Hill Primary School we have always worked hard to support all children/young people and their families so as to ensure that all children/young people have good attendance. We feel we have a very good relationship with our community and we fully appreciate that the experience children have on holiday with their family can be incredibly valuable and one which we believe promotes learning. However, as the headteacher, I cannot break the law and I am duty bound to comply with the regulations.

Click here to complete the APPLICATION FOR EXCEPTIONAL LEAVE OF ABSENCE DURING TERM TIME

The School Attendance Policy can also be found below.

This table shows the level of attendance at the END of the academic year.

Children are accessing all learning opportunities	Up to 6 days absence
	Very few learning opportunities are missed	Up to 10 days absence
		Some learning opportunities are missed	Up to 15 days absence
			Risk of under-achievement	Up to 19 days absence
				High risk of under-achievement	Over 22 days absence
					Severe risk of under-achievement
98% - 100%	96% - 97%	94% - 95%	92% - 93%	90%-  91%	Under 90%
EXCELLENT		VERY GOOD	WORRYING	VERY WORRYING	SERIOUS CONCERN

School Attendance Feature - Every Minute Counts

A big ‘thank you’ to parents and carers who ensure their children arrive at school on time. Punctuality is an important life skill. The habit of good punctuality in primary school will help your child throughout their education and on into adult life and the work place. If you are finding it challenging to get your child to school on time, please speak to their teacher.  We can help you with some strategies to support your child.

We have written to parents whose attendance has become a concern and I am meeting with a minority of parents prior to exploration of a fine.

Being on time for school:

• Gets your child’s day off to a good start and puts your child in a positive frame of mind so that they can make the most of their learning
• Sets positive patterns for the future
• Leads to better achievement
• Helps your child understand that school is important and education is valuable
• Helps your child make and keep friends
• Leads to success and self-confidence

Being late for school:

• Gets your child’s day off to a bad start
• Can be embarrassing for your child
• May lead to your child losing confidence
• May lead to your child feeling confused all day! They will have missed out on vital instructions and bits of news at the start of the day
• Disrupts the lesson for everyone
• Can cause your child to fall behind with their work

Persistent absence and lateness can add up to days of learning lost, as shown below:

Punctuality
5 minutes late each day	3 days lost
10 minutes late each day	6.5 days lost
15 minutes late each day	10 days lost
20 minutes late each day	13 days lost
30 minutes late each day	19 days lost