Children are required to be in school for 190 days in a school year. Five teacher development days are held annually at a time agreed by the staff and governors. You will be informed well in advance of these dates.

Education is vital to the intellectual, physical, social and emotional development of our children. It provides a means of advancement for all young people and pupils need to attend school regularly if they are to take full advantage of opportunities available to them. Regular attendance is a shared responsibility between staff, pupils, parents and governors. Through promoting good attendance, the whole school community aims to raise the attainment of all pupils.

The governors do not expect holidays to be taken during term time. The National Curriculum places heavy demands upon the time of both teachers and children and time lost is very difficult to make up, such is the pace required. Any requests for absence must be made to the governors, via the Headteacher, one month in advance. Requests for leave of absence during term time will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances, such as:

• a parent, grandparent or other close relative is seriously ill
• there may have been a significant trauma in the immediate family recently and an immediate holiday might enable the child to better deal with the situation
• the holiday might be a unique, one-off never-to-be-repeated occasion which can only take place at the time requested