Many parents of children just starting school for the first time may not be aware that taking a child out of school for a holiday during school terms is definitely discouraged. Since September 1st 2013, new government legislation means that headteachers are no longer able to authorise requests for a term time family holiday. Before this date, schools had discretion to authorise up to ten days absence for one family holiday during an academic school year. The reason behind this change was to improve pupil attendance across the whole country, There is a correlation between poor attendance and poor achievement in schools.
The new law states that requests for absence must be made in advance and that they can only be granted in “exceptional circumstances”. Taking a child out of school for a family holiday does not count as an “exceptional circumstance”.
Parents who do decide to take their children out of school, without having gained authorisation from their child’s headteacher, may be liable for a fine of up to £60 for each child who has missed school.