Requests for Term-Time Absences

Parents are now required to complete a “Requests for Special or Exceptional Absence During Term Time” form. You can access this form below or from the School’s main office.

Request for Term Time Absence Form

The request should be submitted to the Principal, with supporting evidence and at least 2 weeks before the required dates of absence, and before arrangements to travel, if travelling abroad, have been made.

The Principal has discretionary power to grant a leave of absence, but will only do so in exceptional circumstances. This leave is very unlikely to be granted for the purposes of a family holiday. The school is advised by the Department for Education and Wandsworth Council to actively discourage time off school for family holidays. 

In situations where the Principal does not authorise a leave of absence and this is ignored, a referral will be made to Education Welfare Services and the absence will be recorded as unauthorised. This could mean that families will be issued with a penalty notice from the local authority. The local authority has legal responsibility for this, in all types of schools, including academies.

All the evidence suggests that absence from school adversely affects a student’s progress. Excellent attendance at school is directly related to better GCSE and A’ Level results, in fact young people are more than twice as likely to get five 9 – 4 grade in their GCSEs.

In the rare cases where a leave of absence is granted, it is the student’s responsibility to collect any work that will be missed from their subject teachers and to complete it before they return to school to ensure they do not fall behind in their studies.