Parents wishing to request a leave of absence in school term time please note:

• There is no automatic entitlement to any leave in term time therefore parents must seek school’s permission before taking their child out of school.
• School will only authorise the absence if there are exceptional reasons for taking the leave in term time.
• School will require parents to fill in a leave request form prior to booking any holiday and/or attend a meeting in school.
• When considering a request for holiday during term time the following are taken into consideration - the exceptional circumstances stated; the age of the child; the stage of the child’s education and progress and the effects of the requested absence on both elements; the overall attendance pattern of the child; time of year (pupils on examination courses will not normally be granted leave of absence);
• There may be occasions where, even in exceptional circumstances, your child’s school may not agree leave:
• Gwaunfarren Primary School will consider every request for leave individually.  
• Where parents have children in more than one school a separate request must be made to each school. The Head teacher at each school will make their own decision based on the factors relating to the child at their school.

 Parents need to consider very carefully before making any request for leave of absence the effect an absence would have on their child’s education and continuity of learning.

Reasons why you should not take your child out of school in term time:

• Evidence shows that even small amounts of absence from school can affect your child’s progress and attainment.
• The education of your child could be disrupted both prior to and after any leave, causing them to fall behind and struggling to catch up.
• For every week of school a child misses, they lose 25 hours of education which can never be regained.
• Approximately every 6 weeks your child gets a holiday from school, therefore you should use this time to take your child on holiday.