At Shenley Brook End School we recognise the importance of good attendance and the impact it can have on the whole holistic experience of school. As a parent you will have access to Arbor which allows you to see up-to-date information on your child’s attendance alongside lots of other useful information. 

We work with families to ensure a student's attendance is as high as possible, in doing so we use a stepped approach to reducing absence (please see below). 

In line with the law on school attendance, the school does not authorise leave of absence in term time except for ‘exceptional circumstances’. All absences not authorised by the school will be recorded as ‘unauthorised’ on a child’s school record. Even when the school does not authorise an absence, parents must notify the school of the reasons for their child’s absence. Parents of students in Years 7 to 11 wishing to take their child out of school during term time, other than for short medical or orthodontic appointments, are asked to complete the form found at the bottom of this page.

Term dates are published for parents in the summer term for the coming academic year and can be found on our website. Dates are regularly published in our newsletter. Parents requiring information on school holidays before the dates are published are welcome to contact the school.

Examples of exceptional circumstances:

• for a child to visit with their own parent who is in the armed forces and is departing on or returning from a tour of duty overseas;
• the opportunity for a child to attend a ‘Make a Wish’ experience or similar;
• to allow a child to take part in a religious event for a day exclusively set aside for religious observance by the religious body to which the parent belongs.

Exceptional circumstances do not include any of the following:

• When parents have their annual holiday from work or because travel or the holiday is cheaper in term time;
• A holiday paid for by another family member or to attend a family celebration;
• A day off for a child’s birthday or to go shopping; to attend a concert or sporting event;
• To look after siblings or to care for another relative;
• To wait at home for a delivery or for maintenance to be carried out whilst parents are at work.

Leave of Absence requests for a student to attend training and competitions at county, national or international level; music examinations that can only take place during the school day; or to take part in musical events or public performances authorised by the Local Authority, will all be considered individually. Parents requesting a Leave of Absence that may fall into these categories, including ‘exceptional circumstances’, are advised to provide a copy of letters from the relevant organisation to support their request so that the case can be considered on its merits.

Parents should be aware of the negative impact that taking time off during the term will have on children’s ability to reach their potential. Work will not be set for students taking a holiday during term time, as it is the government’s and school’s expectation that students should be in school during the term. No Leave of Absence will be authorised during either internal or external examinations for any reason.

If, having taken into account all these points, you still wish to apply for a Leave of Absence to take your child out of school during the term, please complete the form below and submit the request at least two weeks prior to the time for which you are requesting the Leave of Absence. Mr Nash, Assistant Headteacher, will consider all Leave of Absence requests and will notify parents of the outcome.

Applications for a Leave of Absence should be submitted in the first instance marked for the attention of Examinations Manager - exams@sbe5d.com

Please find the Leave of Absence application form below.