Irlam Endowed Primary School

Term Time Holidays

 

Irlam Endowed Primary School: Additional Information on Term Time Holidays.

  

The governors have agreed the following in relation to term time holidays:-

Irlam Endowed defines a term time holiday as: ‘Absence from school for more than a total of five days during term time, during one school year, for the purpose of a holiday.’ If further information as what constitutes a holiday is required, then speak to the Head Teacher.

If you are planning a term time holiday of any length, please submit the request in writing to the Head Teacher, stating the dates your child/ren will be absent from school. Please remember any holidays taken which exceed 5 school days, will be referred to the Education Welfare Officer to issue the fines set in place by the government.

Any absence from school due to holidays which exceeds a TOTAL of 5 days taken in one school year (September to July), will incur a fine.

HOWEVER, PLEASE NOTE: If a child has a current attendance of less than 95% on the day the request is received, then any length of absence for a holiday will be forwarded to the Education Welfare Officer for a fine.

If a child is in Year 6, then any holiday absence before SATs assessment week (September to May) will be forwarded to the Education Welfare Officer for a fine.

If a child is absent due to any length of holiday during the important school month of September, then this will be forwarded to the Education Welfare Officer for a fine.

Exceptional Circumstances (where no fine will be incurred) : Applies only to parents/carers in the forces/armed services, who cannot choose when their holidays are, and can provide evidence of this.

As we need to know the reason for any absence from school for our records, please continue to put any requests for holidays during term time in writing. It is very important we are aware of the real reason for the absence.

The Head Teacher reserves the right to consider any individual case. The final decision to refer to the Education Welfare Officer for a possible fine, lies with the Head Teacher & Governors of the school.

Please also note that the school does not financially benefit from any fines. It is the local authority that collects and keeps any fine payments.

This policy has been approved by the Governing Body of Irlam Endowed Primary School, and this version will come into effect from 1st  September 2017.

 

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Salford City Council Penalty Notice (holidays in term time) Interim Plan


Following consultation with our Legal Team, we have discussed an interim plan in order to deal with Penalty Notice’s for holidays. Legal still need an opportunity to read and consider the Judgment from the Isle of Wight case in full, therefore in the short term the following actions have been agreed.


1. Any requests for refunds for paid Penalty Notices will be refused. The following statement will be used to respond to parents:
The Penalty Notice was issued in accordance with the regulations, Department for Education guidance and the Local Authorities Penalty Notice protocol. It is therefore the view of the Local Authority that the Penalty Notice was issued lawfully. The Penalty Notice gave you an opportunity to discharge your liability for the offence and by making the payment you discharged that liability. There are no legal reasons for the withdrawal of the Notice and therefore we do not intend to withdraw the Notice or to refund the monies paid to discharge your liability. Should you have any parents requesting a refund, please ask that they put this in writing to Erin Rowan, Children's Services Directorate, 2nd Floor Unity House, Salford Civic Centre,
Chorley Road, Swinton, M27 5AW or email erin.rowan@salford.gov.uk

 

2. Schools to continue to apply for Penalty Notice’s under the policy.

 

3. Salford City Council to carry on issuing Penalty Notice’s as follows:
- Any new requests to be set aside if holiday/absence is two weeks or less and overall attendance is over 90%.
- Penalty Notice's to be issued where holiday/absence is five days or more and attendance is below 90%.
- Penalty Notice's to be issued for any long holidays/absence, i.e. in excess of 2 weeks.

 

4. As always, any new referrals that are sent over will require up to date attendance certificates for this academic year.

 

5. Any holiday cases we have currently going through the Courts, where appropriate we will seek an adjournment from the Court in order to take a view once the Judgment is available.