Parents/carers must complete the exceptional circumstances form below with as much detail as possible as to why they are unable to take time in school holidays. The Head of School will decide whether or not circumstances are deemed to be exceptional, and all requests will receive a response stating the outcome of the request.
If your child is absent from school without authorisation, you will be committing an offence under the Education Act 1996. We may submit a request to Cornwall Council for a Penalty Notice to be issued, in accordance with Sections 444A and 444B of the said Act. Penalty Notices are issued per liable parent, per child and each carry a fine of £80 if paid within 21 days or £160 if paid after this but within 28 days. If your child is further absent from school without authorisation within any 3-year period, you will be committing a further offence under the Education Act 1996. We may submit a request to Cornwall Council for a Penalty Notice to be issued, in accordance with Sections 444A and 444B of the said Act. Penalty Notices for a second offence are issued per liable parent, per child and each carry a fine of £160, payable within 28 days. Importantly, fines per parent will be capped to two fines within any three-year period. Once this limit has been reached, other action such as a parenting order or prosecution will be considered. Failure to pay the Penalty Notice may also result in legal action. If you are prosecuted and attend court because your child has not been attending school, you could get a fine of up to £2,500. Cornwall Council may also apply for the costs incurred in taking the matter to Court, including legal costs. Absence not authorised by the school may also result in a prosecution in the Magistrates’ Court under Section 444(1) or Section 444(1A) of the Education Act 1996, leading to a fine of up to £2,500 and/or a custodial sentence. Again, Cornwall Council may also apply for the costs incurred in taking the matter to Court, including legal costs. Money raised from fines is only used by the local authority to cover the costs of administering the system, and to fund attendance support. Any extra money is returned to the government.
Penalty Notices can only be issued in cases where a pupil of compulsory school age has been absent from school and the absence has not been authorisedOrWhere a pupil arrives persistently late
Prescription medicines will not be administered unless they have been prescribed for a child by a doctor or dentist and the school has written permission from the parent or carer. The school will only accept prescribed medicines if these are in-date, labelled, provided in original container as dispensed by a pharmacist and includes instructions for administration, dosage and storage.
Medicine in school will only be administered by trained staff who have completed Medication Awareness (Education) training.
Non-prescription medicines will not be administered. Any request will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Any decision to administer non-prescribed medication must be supported with a completed parental non-prescription medication form signed by the parent/carer and Head of School.
Under no circumstances will any child be given prescription or non-prescription medicine without their parent/carer’s written consent.
Medical appointments
