Reasons for absence and what to do
Once you've registered your child at school, you have a legal duty to ensure they attend on a regular basis.
This means that your child must attend every day that the school is open, unless:
- Your child is too ill to attend that day
- You have asked in advance and have had permission from the school. This is usually for a specific day and due to exceptional circumstances
- It is a day that you are taking part in religious observance
- Your usual local authority school transport is not available on that day or has not arrived
- You are a gypsy/traveller family with no fixed abode. You have to travel for work that day so your child cannot attend their usual school. Note that gypsy/traveller children should temporarily attend another school during such absences.
These are the only circumstances where schools can permit your child to be absent.
Parents who take their child out of school without permission may face paying a fine.
What to do if your child needs to be absent from school
- Contact the school as early as possible.
- Explain why your child needs to be absent (eg they're ill)
- If you don't let them know, your child’s school will contact you on the first morning of their absence to find out why.
Parents can ask for a ‘leave of absence’ for their child, which gives them permission to be absent from school. The school must agree to this leave of absence in advance. They'd usually only allow it in exceptional circumstances. Your child’s headteacher has final say on whether to approve the request and - if they do - how long your child can be absent.