At Stanford Infant School, we work in partnership with our families to provide the best education for each and every child. We therefore expect all children to be in school when they should be, unless they are truly unwell or there is an exceptional circumstance.
Please click here to view a copy of our Attendance and Punctuality Policy.
Click on the image below to find out about Brighton and Hove’s campaign regarding the importance of School Attendance.
Term Time Holidays
The DfE statutory guidance states that “Generally, the DfE does not consider a need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation, to be an exceptional circumstance.” It also states that “a school cannot grant leave of absence retrospectively.” The fundamental principles for defining 'exceptional' are where requests are rare, significant, unavoidable and short.
For term-time absence to be granted:
a) Permission must be requested at least two weeks before the absence begins.
b) Permission must be requested by the parent/carer who the child normally lives with.
c) A parent/carer must explain in writing by completing a Leave of Absence request form why they believe the circumstances to be exceptional and provide all necessary evidence to the school at the time the request is made. It is the parent/carer’s responsibility to provide evidence when making the request.
If a leave of absence is granted, it is for the school to determine the length of the time the child can be away from school.
A term-time absence taken without the school’s written permission may trigger a Fixed Penalty Notice, which is issued by the Local Authority.
