Can military families take children out of school during term time to go on holiday?
The children of military personnel are not automatically eligible to miss school for a term-time holiday; in England service children are governed by the same legal framework as all pupils, but there may be flexibility for certain situations.
A child's headteacher can be asked for permission to allow time off during the term when military duties have prevented a family taking leave during normal school holidays.
Joint guidance by the Department for Education (DfE) and Ministry of Defence says, "while the educational needs of the service pupil will always be a critical factor in determining whether term-time absence should be granted, the impacts of wider family life on service pupils should also be considered".
The DfE stipulates that children should only be absent for illnesses or under exceptional circumstances.
In England, parents can face a penalty from their local authority for unauthorised leave – last year saw a record 459,288 fines issued, according to figures from the DfE.
These fines cost £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days, per parent per child.
What are the military scenarios for an authorised absence?
:: If a parent is deploying or deployed and has set Pre-Tour Leave, R&R, or Post Operational Tour Leave, that does not fall within school holidays
:: If military duties have prevented a parent from taking leave during the normal holiday period, so time off during the term is the only realistic opportunity a family can be together
:: Where sudden changes to deployment schedules are unavoidable
How is authorised leave granted?
A child's headteacher is the only one who can authorise absence in "exceptional circumstances".
Every application for term-time absence should be considered individually.
Several factors need to be taken into account, including the number of days a child has missed so far that year, plus any upcoming exams or tests.
Any authorised absence is the school's decision, and not a parental right.
Term-time leave is unlikely to be granted to military families if the holiday could have reasonably be taken during school holidays, or if there have already been repeated requests for time off.
If the absence is not authorised, then a fine may be issued.
How do you request permission in UK state schools?
Applications should be sent in writing to a headteacher in advance of the proposed leave.
It should include the child's name and class, explain the situation, and detail the reason why term-time absence is unavoidable.
Headteachers should also be given the contact information for Unit Commanding Officers and Welfare Staff who can provide advice, verification and endorsement as required.
If permission is refused then the serving parent should seek advice from his/her chain of command in the first instance.
Where can headteachers seek further advice?
Headteachers should seek further guidance form their local authority attendance Team/Education Welfare Officer.
They should be given the contact information for Unit Commanding Officers and Welfare Staff who can provide advice, verification and endorsement as required.
On the .Gov website, there is also additional guidance for headteachers and parents, explaining what the exceptional circumstances are and how parents should approach their child's school. This is available here.
Advice for children in Defence Children Services schools and settings
A serving parent who requests authorised absence from the headteacher needs to Complete an Application Form for Term-Time Leave for Exceptional Circumstances.
This requires the name of the child, school/class, sibling(s) at other education settings, an explanation for exceptional circumstances, the dates from when the absence starts and finishes with total number of days, and an agreement to provide additional evidence if needed.
There is a separate application form for Term-Time Absence for Post Operational Leave.
This asks for the following information: name of child, school/class, sibling(s) at other education settings, explanation for exceptional leave (which can be a maximum of 10 days and the serving person must have returned from a minimum of a three-month tour of duty).
Furthermore, a unit declaration needs to include: name of unit, rank/name of unit representative, signature of unit representative and unit stamp.
What is the guidance for overseas families?
Many children of service personnel based overseas attend international or host nation schools.
As attendance expectations can vary between different schooling contexts, in these instances, parents should follow local processes set out by the school their child attends.
Where a service child is attending a Defence Children's Services (DCS) school overseas, UK legislation is applied and families must apply to their child's individual school in the same way as detailed above for UK state schools.
To find information, guidance, and support to help navigate life as a Service family, visit the MOD Families Hub.
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