Holidays During Term Time at St Catherine’s Primary School

At St Catherine’s Primary School, we strongly discourage taking holidays during term time as this can have a significant impact on a child’s education and overall progress. Our policy on term-time holidays aligns with guidance from the Department for Education (DfE) and reflects our commitment to ensuring children achieve their full potential through regular and uninterrupted attendance.

Key Points of Our Policy

1. No Automatic Right to Leave

   • Parents do not have an automatic right to withdraw their children from school for holidays during term time.
   • Requests for leave will only be considered in exceptional circumstances and must be made in writing to the Headteacher well in advance.

2. Unauthorised Absence

   • Holidays taken without the Headteacher’s authorisation will be recorded as unauthorised absences. This may result in the local authority issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice (fine) in line with legal requirements.

3. Fixed Penalty Notices

   • If a child’s unauthorised absences reach a certain threshold, parents may be fined. This is currently £60 per parent, per child, if paid within 21 days, rising to £120 if paid within 28 days.
   • Failure to pay may result in further legal action.

4. Impact on Learning

   • We work to highlight the impact that missing school can have on a child’s learning. Absences for holidays during term time disrupt teaching and can make it harder for children to keep up with their peers.

5. Positive Attendance Culture

   • We encourage families to plan holidays outside term dates to support our shared goal of excellent attendance for all pupils. Term dates and holiday information are provided well in advance to assist with planning.

Our Commitment

At St Catherine’s, we are committed to working closely with families to minimise absence and support children’s attendance. We appreciate the efforts of parents in ensuring that holidays are taken during designated school holiday periods.

For further information, or to discuss any specific circumstances, please contact the school office.