Extended Overseas Trips

Millbrook Primary School does not support parents removing their children from education for extended leave or holidays.

When making judgements about extended absence for pupils, we will ensure that full account has been taken, not only of the regulations and DfE guidelines, but also of the families particular circumstances relating to each individual case.  There is no automatic right to any parent to remove their child from school during term time.

We will ensure that all parents are aware of the school’s policy on absence.   In the case of black and ethnic minority parents or where English is an additional language (EAL), special care should be taken to ensure that the regulations are fully explained and understood.

The school should take account of the following:-

• a visit involving family overseas has an entirely different significance from the normal associations with ‘holiday’ which is the category recognised by the DfE
• visits may be very important in terms of children’s identity and self-esteem as they grow up
• parents may feel that the planned visit outweighs the importance of their child’s uninterrupted attendance at school - maintaining family links may involve greater significance and greater pressure in some societies than it does in many western societies
• the reasons for parents making a visit may be similar to those for indigenous parents, e.g. family illness, bereavement, etc.

However, the school should explain to parents that:-

• • leave in term time is disruptive and detrimental to a child’s learning and attainment
  • advanced permission must be requested and agree
  • the absence should be planned carefully with the school
  • wherever possible, extended visits should be made during school holiday
  • leave of absence during examination time should be avoided
  • children who miss school for six weeks or more fall behind in their school work by a full term
  • some children never catch up and will under-perform in their assessments
  • their child’s name may be removed from the register if he or she has not returned to school within twenty school days of the expected date of return

If absence is agreed, the school should consider:-

• the potential educational value of the visit          
• the amount of learning missed and how parents and how the school can help their child catch up on his/her return to school
• preparing a home learning pack
• asking pupils to make notes/observations in relation to a current or forthcoming class topic
• going through any work that has been completed by the pupil on return to school
• sharing experience with other pupils