Amendments to the 2006 school attendance regulations came into force on 1st September 2013. The amendments make it clear that a Headteacher may not grant any leave of absence during term-time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Requests for leave of absence should be made in writing to the Headteacher at least one month in advance. A Leave of Absence request form is available at the main office.
Experience and research tell us that children who are taken out of school often never catch up on work they have missed. This affects test results and can be particularly harmful if your child is studying for SATs examinations. Some children also find it very hard to renew or keep up friendships with their classmates.
Further information and guidance regarding requests for leave of absence during term time is available from the Durham County Council website.
Information regarding persistent absentees
Persistent absence is defined as absence of an individual pupil that is 15% or more i.e. when a child’s attendance is 85% or below.
Ways of dealing with persistent absence children
Effective and regular monitoring of school attendance data, observing trends to identify children who may be becoming persistent absence children. Children who have the following absence levels fall into persistent absence status.
- Autumn term 1 – 14 absences and over
- Autumn term 2 – 28 absences and over
- Spring term 1 – 40 absences and over
- Spring term 2 – over 64 absences
