Taking your child out of school for holidays during term time will affect their education.

The following information is what you need to consider in deciding whether to take a holiday during term time.

Wherever possible you should take your holidays during school holiday periods.

If you still wish to take a holiday, you need to:

Make sure that you give the date you wish the holiday to commence and the date your child will be back at school

The school will consider your application. If leave is granted you will be asked to sign an agreement giving the date your child is expected back in school and the consequences of failure to return on that day.

• Do not expect school to agree to a family holiday during term time. There is no entitlement in law for leave for this reason.
• Your childs school will always consider your request for a holiday during term time, and will take factors such as attendance and attainment record, any previous history of leave in term time and parents work commitments into account in deciding whether to agree to authorise the absence.
• School will not agree to your child missing more than 10 days in any one school year except in the most exceptional circumstances.
• If you take your child away without agreement the absences are unauthorised and can attract sanctions or prosecution.
• If your child fails to return to school after a period of absence agreed between you and the school, there is a possibility that they may be removed from the school role.
• Excessive requests for holidays may give your child the impression that school is not important. Please help them to value education.

The role of the Local Authority

The Local Authority (LA) are responsible for making sure parents ensure that registered pupils of compulsory school age attend their school regularly.

The LA Brokers deal with local Travel Agents to secure discounts off holidays taken during school holiday periods-ask your school for the details and application form.

Liverpool employs Pupil Attendance & Education Welfare Officers (PAEWOs) to monitor school attendance and help parents meet their responsibilities. PAEWOs work closely with schools and if your child is not attending regularly they may visit you.

It is the parents/carers responsibility to ensure that children attend school regularly. Failure to do so could result in the issue of a Penalty Notice or prosecution in the Magistrates Court, Prosecution or Penalty Notices are per parent/carer not per child.

It is essential that your child attends school regularly for your childs sake you should co-operate with the school and the Education Welfare Officer.

Please consider:

While you are away for one week your child will miss approximately 20 hours of their education.

Many families take at least two weeks holiday each year during term time.

If your child has two weeks holiday during term time and one week of illness during the school year they will miss 7.7% of their education in that year. If this pattern is repeated throughout their school life they would miss 33 weeks of their education. One school year = 39 weeks!

It is extremely difficult for pupils to catch up on what they miss whilst on holiday; they can feel at a disadvantage.

Thinking of taking a holiday ..please think again!!

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Request for Term Time Leave

Notes for Completion of the Application form