Absence, Holidays and Term Dates
PLEASE NOTE: REQUESTS FOR LEAVE OF ABSENCE WILL ONLY BE AUTHORISED IN EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES
Holiday Requests: Permission for holidays during the school term will only be granted in the most exceptional circumstances. We are fully committed to upholding Department of Education legislation in relation to family holidays taken in term time. Headteacher, Mr Dickson, will only grant leave of absence in exceptional circumstances in recognition that taking a child out of school in term time can impair their progress and development.
Parents and Carers who remove their children from school in term time may be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice. (From 1 September 2013 these will be for £60 per parent per child if paid within 21 days and £120 per parent per child if paid between 22 and 28 days. Parents who fail to pay Fixed Penalty Notices may be prosecuted in court.)
Permission for leave of absence in exceptional circumstances must be applied for in writing giving two weeks notice and on an 'Application for leave of absence in exceptional circumstances', a copy can be found below to download and print.
School work will not be provided by the classteacher for children who take leave of absence during school term time. School work planned by the classteacher is delivered in school during term time. Classteachers at Somerville Primary School pride themselves in providing the children a broad and balanced curriculum, they use ongoing assessment to skilfully adjust planning to ensure children make progress in all aspects of learning on a day to day basis.
ABSENCE
Absence: If your child is absent please ring and leave a message before 9.30am on 0151 638 5074.
Please give your child’s name and class, together with the reason for your child’s absence. If we have not been notified, one of our Admin staff or our Learning Mentor will ring you.
Please try to make medical or dental appointments outside school hours. If you know that your child is going to be off for a medical appointment or any other reason please ring the school before the day of the appointment. Attendance at school is important and affects a young person’s progress. Please only allow your child to be absent if absolutely necessary.
All absences must be explained. Pupils must bring a note on the first day of their return to school. Thank you for your cooperation in this important matter.
PENALTY NOTICES
Penalty Notices may be considered appropriate in the following circumstances:
• Attendance below 90% with at least 10 days lost due to unauthorised absence. These do not need to be consecutive.
• 5 days or more unauthorised absence due to holidays in term time.
• Pupils stopped on Police Truancy Sweeps in some circumstances, for example, if this is repeated.
• The presence of an excluded child in a public place at any time during school hours in that child’s first five days of a school exclusion without good reason.
• A pupil arrives late after the registers are closed (using a code U) on 10 or more separate occasions.
This means that if your child is taken on holiday without permission for 5 days or more we may issue a Warning Letter or a Fixed Penalty Notice regardless of the child’s overall attendance.
PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR HOLIDAY DATES. PLEASE NOTE THAT INSET DATES HAVE BEEN SET. EACH YEAR THERE ARE 5 INSET DAYS.