THE SCHOOL DAY

School Calendar – available on the homepage of this website (lower right)

School Holidays

Please see the official NLC School Holidays website for the most up-to-date information on school holidays.

Holidays During Term Time

Every effort should be made to avoid family holidays during term time.  Parents/Guardians should inform the school by letter of the dates before going on holiday.

Absences will be classed as authorised only in exceptional circumstances. 
Such circumstances may include a family holiday judged to be important to the wellbeing and cohesion of the family, following serious or terminal illness, bereavement or other traumatic events.

A family holiday classified under the ‘authorised absence’ category will not include reasons such as:

• The availability of cheap holidays.
• The availability of desired accommodation.
• Poor weather experience during school holiday.
• Holidays which overlap the beginning or end of term.
• Parental difficulty obtaining leave (except in cases where evidence is provided by the employer that it cannot accommodate leave during school holidays without serious consequences)

Family holidays where the head teacher’s prior agreement has not been sought will automatically be classed as ‘unauthorised’.

Extended Leave

Where most family holidays will be recorded as unauthorised absence, extended leave with parental consent will not be considered the same as a family holiday.

Leave in such circumstances will be authorised under circumstances such as:

• Extended overseas educational trips not organised by the school.
• Short-term parental placement abroad.
• Family returning to its country of origin (to care for a relative, or for cultural reason).
• Leave in relation to the children of travelling families.

Parents may request permission for such leave in writing and the school may authorise such requests under the following caused by exceptional domestic circumstances.

• The period immediately after an accident or illness.
• A period of serious or critical illness of a close relative.
• A domestic crisis which causes serious disruption to the family home, causing temporary relocation.