Term time holidays

[Pitapotamus]

I’m taking my kids out of school for a week. I think the head teacher should give permission because we’ve got quite a good reason. However, I asked for permission for one day to go to a close family wedding a while back and it was “unauthorised”. Do head teachers have any discretion at all to approve absences? I thought they had discretion, albeit narrowly drawn. Are there any published guidelines on what they are allowed to approve?

HTs not allowed to authorise "holiday" any more, for any reason.

At my kids' school HT would have authorised the wedding absence so long as attendance otherwise good.

LA here only pursue those with frequent or habitual unauthorised abscence.

Their attendance is excellent. I basically want to find some formal written guidance for HTs so I can tailor my request for absence to fit within what the HT is allowed to authorise!

Heads can authorise absence, under "exceptional circumstances". However, there is no legally defined definition of "exceptional circumstances". The National association of Head teachers has issued some guidance, but it is purely advisory, with no legal backing.

Family holidays are not considered exceptional, nor normally would be visits to relatives.

parentswantasay.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/NAHT-Guidance-on-authorised-absence-in-schools-Oct-2014.pdf

'exceptional circumstances' wouldn't normally include a holiday. The local authority area I live in, gives Head's quite clear guidance on what the EWO considers an exceptional circumstance just so that the schools are consistent.

Personally, if you decided to take children out for a week, and you have a good reason for it, I would just do it regardless of authorised or not. And pay the fine if needed.
School need to follow guidelines, and I think it's just pointless and waste of everyone's time to fight it.

I am going to take them and i will just pay the fine. I just thought if I could avoid it it is worth a try! Thanks for the link to the guidance, I’ll check that out.

Ha ha, after reading the guidelines I’ve concluded that there is little point trying to get authorisation! Time off for a bereavement is allowed but for the funeral service only!! Seriously, it’s a ridiculous system!

Both parents get fined, so the fine is in effect, double what you think.

Different authorities operate the fines system in different ways. For us, anything more than 15 unauthorised sessions, (i.e. half days) in a two-consecutive-term period, triggers a fine (which both parents should be pre-warned about in separate letters). It's £80 per child, per parent, which can reduce to £60 if paid within one (or possibly 2???) week. If unpaid within a month, it doubles to £120, and some time after that doubles to £240 with court action.
That is per absence, so the fine would be the same for one day as it would be for a fortnight.