Code of conduct for issuing penalty notices for unauthorised absence from school
The circumstances that penalty notices may be issued
The circumstances that penalty notices may be Issued include:
- irregular school attendance
- parentally-condoned absences
- unauthorised holidays in term-time
- being in a public place during the first five days of an exclusion
- persistent late arrival at school
Headteachers are unable to agree leave of absence during term time unless they are satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances. The fundamental principles for defining ‘exceptional’ are rare, significant, unavoidable, and short”. And by ‘unavoidable’ it implies that an event could not reasonably be scheduled at another time.