Holiday Forms - The Headteacher can no longer authorise holiday during term time.
Please see important information from HCC regarding Fixed Penalties for absence during term time.
HCC Guidance to Parents on Fixed Penalties
PENALTY NOTICES
With the holiday season and SAT’s tests fast approaching, I would like to remind parent(s) of our legal obligations with regard to issuing penalty notices for unauthorised absence from school.
SATs/Phonics testing – The school must issue a penalty notice for any single session* of unauthorised absence during a period of public examination, assessment or testing.
KS1 SATs – May 2019
KS2 SATs – May 2019
Y1 Phonics – June 2019
*A session is either a morning or afternoon. 1 full day is 2 sessions.
With regard to holiday requests during term time, there has been the belief that it is cheaper to take your child(ren) out of school during term time versus payment of a fine. However, the following example may make you think differently as I am sure that not all parents fully understand the law with regard to taking 10 sessions of unauthorised absence during term time over a 100 session period which doesn’t need to run concurrently.
Example : 2 children at St Anne’s and an older sibling at secondary school with both parents (including step-parents) living at the same address. Each parent will receive a £60 fine per child to be paid within 21 days. Failure to pay within 21 days will result in the fine being doubled to £120 per parent per child to be paid after 21 days but within 28 days. Non-payment after 28 days will result in prosecution under section 444(1) of Education Act 1996.
Therefore, in this example the family will be fined £360 initially, rising to £720 (based on the above timescales) and non-payment resulting in prosecution.
The school has a legal obligation to initiate a Penalty Notice on behalf of Hampshire County Council who will then take full responsibility for collection of fines and prosecution.
Further information can be found on the school’s Attendance Policy and at
This is the law and is non-negotiable.
