Term Dates
Taking children on holiday in school time can cause quite serious disruption to a child’s programme of work when various aspects of the National Curriculum must be met. The DCSF expects schools to actively discourage pupils from taking holiday during term time. We will not authorise any holidays unless the circumstances are exceptional.
Please read the following statement from the Local Authority.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no entitlement to ten days off school for family holidays. From September 1st, amendments to the 2006 regulations remove references to family holiday and extended leave as well as the statutory threshold of ten school 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. All Warrington Head teachers have agreed in line with government guidance that, unless exceptional circumstances can be proved, any absence for a family holiday will be treated as an unauthorised absence.
Parents sometimes believe that if a pupil takes time off school at the beginning or end of a school term that this does not matter as much as at other times of the year. The teaching of the national curriculum and the need to prepare pupils for national tests and examinations means that there are no longer times of the school year when pupils can be absent without missing essential learning opportunities.
Schools in Warrington have high targets for improving upon the already impressive achievements of their pupils and one of the issues that will hamper them in doing this is pupils being absent from school for reasons apart from illness.
I am sure that you want your child to have the best possible start in life that comes from doing as well as they can during their time at school. I would ask parents who are considering taking their children on holiday during term time to consider the possible impact on their learning.