Page 13 - Ridgeway School Brochure 2017

Ridgeway Primary School

Penalty Notices – Advice for Parents

Term-Time Pupil Leave
I know since the changes in 2013 this has been a difficult issue for families and schools, especially Head

Teacher (ahhhh, I hear you all say). The Head Teacher’s Union has, given advice on ‘exceptional
circumstances’ so I thought I would share it, in their words.
“The fundamental principles for defining ‘exceptional circumstances’ are that they are ‘rare, significant,
unavoidable and short’.

Guiding principles for determining ‘exceptional circumstances’:
Term times are for education. This is the priority. Head teachers will rightly prioritise attendance. The default
school policy should be that absences will not be granted during term-time and will only be authorised in

exceptional circumstances.
The decision to authorise a pupil’s absence is based on the merits of each request.

If an event can be reasonably scheduled outside of term-time then it would not be normal to authorise absence
for such an event – holidays are therefore not considered ‘exceptional circumstances’.
Absences to visit seriously-ill relatives or for a bereavement of a close family member are usually considered

to amount to ‘exceptional circumstances’, but for the funeral service only, not for extended leave.
Absences for important religious observances are often taken into account but only for the ceremony and

travelling time, again, not for extended leave. This is intended for one-off situations rather than regular or
recurring events.
Schools may wish to take the needs of the families of service personnel into account if they are returning

from long operational tours that prevent contact during scheduled holiday time.
Schools have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for pupils with special educational needs and/or

disabilities.
Families may need time together to recover from a trauma or a crisis.
It is acceptable to take a pupil’s record of attendance into account when making absence-related decisions.”

Advice from Derbyshire County Council
 What is the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003?
The Act gives powers to local authorities, schools and the police to issue penalty notices to parents or
carers for their child’s non-attendance at school.

 Why have penalty notices been introduced?
Reducing absence from school is very important. This is because missing school can damage children’s
achievements, disrupt the school’s routines and affect other children’s learning. It can also leave
children at risk of anti-social behaviour and youth crime. Above all, missing out on the opportunities
provided in school can have a long-term effect on children’s chances in life.

 What are my responsibilities as a parent?
You have a legal duty to ensure that your child receives full-time education. Unless you can show that
you are providing this yourself, you must ensure that your child attends school regularly and on time.

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