Our attendance figures this year are much lower than in previous years, as you would expect following the outbreaks of COVID in the community during the autumn and spring terms. However, we have also seen an increase in families taking holidays during the school term. We understand that many holidays were postponed during the pandemic and the choice of dates to rearrange them was limited. After liaising with our Dorset Council attendance officer, Wimborne Academy Trust has come to the decision to reinstate fixed penalty notices for taking their child out of school during term time for holidays with immediate effect.

From September 2013, Headteachers no longer have the discretion to grant a leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. Any request for absence that might be considered an ‘exceptional circumstance’ should be put in writing to the Headteacher as far in advance as possible and in advance of booking, including any relevant supporting documents — each case will be considered on an individual basis. The fundamental principles for defining ‘exceptional’ are rare, significant, unavoidable, and short. A two-week holiday in term time means that the highest attendance a child can achieve is 94.7%