Advice please

[SERENAC]

Hi Guys,

We have a little girl who's 4 and just started in reception. Just wondering seeing as she's not at the age where she legally has to be at school if there would be a problem in taking her out during term time in November for 3 weeks? We want to go to Borneo and its the only time we can go. Thanksx

Yes: she does not have to be in school at all, but as you have chosen to enrol her in a full time place she should attend.

3 weeks is well in excess of the maximum authorised absence that HTs can grant.

The fact she's not 5 is irrelevant - she is in school. You won't get 3 weeks authorised - HT might authorise some of it, though.

Yes, the optional bit applies to whether or not you enrol them in school before the age of 5. Once you've enrolled, schools and LEAs are usually pretty fierce about attendance.

A trip to Borneo can be very educational as well.

I would discuss it with the head teacher if I were you (and only go if you can find some form of agreement).

The head won't authorise it - in many LEAs, the power of heads to even think about authorising such a long break has been taken away and no term time holiday can be authorised.

I don't know what will happen if you are in a local authority that routinely fines for unauthorised absence as i don't have personal experience.

If you are in an authority (like the one I teach in) that takes court action for low attendance, then legal action won't be taken for a child of under compulsory school age. So for example, a parent has been taken to court for the low attendance of her 8 year old, but the fact that her 4-5 year old also had low attendance during the same school year was not added onto her charges.