Absence During Term Time

The school’s attendance policy and the Wirral Code of Conduct for penalty notices relating to school attendance, is that the law requires parents to seek permission from the head teacher to take their child out of school during term time. The law states permission can only be granted if:

  1.     An application has been made in advance by the parent the child normally lives with; and
  2.     There are exceptional circumstances.

Parents who take their child out of school despite the request being denied by the Headteacher may be referred to the Local Authority for further action. On the first occasion this is likely to be a Fixed Penalty Notice which is £80 per parent per child if paid within 21 days or £160 per parent per child if paid between day 22 and day 28. For any second occasion the amount will be £160 per parent per child. Any more than two occasions in a rolling three year period will result in a prosecution in the Magistrate’s court.