"Every day of school missed is a day stolen from a child's future" – Bridget Phillipson (Education Secretary), August 2025

Advice from the Public Health Agency

These useful guides could help determine if your child is well enough for school, and if they are unwell, when they can return to school. If you are ever in doubt, please contact the school office. 

Request for Leave of Absence

There is no general right to authorised absence for a family holiday. If you take your child out of school without permission, the absence will be unauthorised; you may be issued a Penalty Notice, and the Local Authority may consider legal action.

Schools are only able to authorise absence from school in exceptional circumstances. In making a request for an authorised absence from school, you will need to explain why the circumstances are exceptional.

If you remove your child for an unauthorised period, and it is the belief of the school and Local Authority that you have done this in a way as to avoid being issued a Penalty Notice, the Local Authority reserves the right to authorise the issuing of a Penalty Notice before the national threshold is met.

You are advised not to make any arrangements until your request has been considered, and this form is returned to you.