Term Dates and Opening Times
OFFICIAL SCHOOL OPENING HOURS
St Lawrence CE Primary School is open from 09:00 to 15:30 Monday to Friday, term time only. This equates to 32.5 hours per week.
TERM DATES
Before booking a holiday, please take note of the following information, taken from the School Attendance Policy:
Leave in Term Time:
Taking a child out of school in term time will affect their schooling as much as any other absence and we expect parents to help us by not taking children away in school time.
Remember that any savings you think you may make by taking a holiday in school time are offset by the cost to your child’s education.
There is no automatic entitlement in law to take leave during school time.
All applications for leave must be made, in advance, by the parent of residence using the 'Request for Leave of Absence' form from the school office and making an appointment to see the headteacher. Requests will only be authorised if the circumstances surrounding the request are considered to be exceptional.
Full details of the policy and procedures are available from the school, but it is important that you understand that leave in term time will not be agreed by us at any time unless circumstances surrounding the request can be evidenced, by parents, to be exceptional and absolutely necessary.
In considering the request we will also look at various factors such as:
· The timing of the request:
When a pupil is just starting the school, absences should be avoided as this is a very important transition period as your child needs to settle into their new environment as quickly as possible.
Pupils should not be absent where possible both immediately before and during assessment periods e.g. SATs, GCSE or any other public examinations.
· When a pupil’s attendance record already includes any level of unauthorised absence.
· Where a pupil’s attendance rate is already below 97% or will fall to or below that level as a result of taking leave.
· Other periods of leave which the pupil may have had, either during the current or previous academic year
Any period of leave taken without the agreement of the school, or in excess of that agreed, will be classed as unauthorised and may attract sanctions such as a Penalty Notice.
In certain circumstances, parents risk losing their child's place on the school roll if the pupil does not return to school on the agreed return date. Readmission cannot be guaranteed.
The specific circumstances which outline when a pupil can be removed from roll are laid out in Regulation 8 (1) (f) (i-iii) of The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 (Amended 2010 and 2013)
Religious Absence:
The school will authorise one day 'leave' (i.e. the day set aside by the Religious Body of which the parent is a member) per religious festival, e.g. Eid, but no more than 3 days in any one academic year. Parents must request this leave in advance. The factors above will also apply when considering the application for leave for religious absence.
