Absence during term time

PARENT REQUEST FOR AUTHORISED ABSENCE / NOTIFICATION OF ABSENCE DURING TERM TIME 

Before applying to take a term time absence please consider the following:

Ongoing low attendance is a factor often linked to low levels of academic success and can have a serious impact on opportunities later in life. Children who are absent from school in term time will miss out on important learning opportunities - educational experiences missed cannot be re-captured later. 

Your child’s teacher will not be able to go back over everything your child has missed. Due to the need for teacher/pupil input into many of our learning experiences, it is not always feasible to provide you with work to complete during the absence. 

As a parent/carer you can demonstrate your commitment to your child's education by, whenever possible, avoiding term time absences. It is important that term time absences do not contribute to developing poor habits of attendance which are hard to undo later on.

For holidays: 

Please note that there is not an automatic right to withdraw pupils from school for a holiday and this form, if it is a request for that purpose, is merely a request for permission. 

There is a margin of discretion for head teachers to agree to your request and in line with national guidance, your child(ren)’s absence will be judged on merit and may not be authorised. 

Please see our school policy on attendance (on our school website). You will be notified of the decision shortly. 

Please note: WG guidance states that schools cannot authorise holidays retrospectively.

Should your child accumulate a level of unauthorised absence which brings their attendance below 90% during the year, the Local Authority may (depending on the circumstances) issue a Penalty Notice or commence formal prosecution for failing to secure regular attendance at school. The full details of the Penalty Notice scheme can be requested from Pembrokeshire County Council.