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Request for term-time leave of absence for your child (Northern Ireland)
Northern Ireland · in English · for parents
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For a parent in Northern Ireland who needs their child to miss school days in term time — a family wedding or funeral abroad, a serious illness in the family, a parent's leave from the forces. A request to the principal: it gives the dates and the day of return, explains the circumstances you believe are exceptional and asks for a written decision before the absence. The Department of Education's guidance lets a principal authorise term-time absence only in exceptional circumstances and no longer has a code for an agreed family holiday. Sent by email or handed in well in advance.
- Made for use in Northern Ireland
- Last updated October 29, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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When to use this document
- There is a family wedding abroad in term time and your child needs a few days off school in Northern Ireland.
- Your child's grandparent is seriously ill in another country and you need to travel during term.
- A parent is home on leave from the forces and you want your child to spend a few days with them.
- You want to ask the principal in writing to authorise your child's absence.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Sender
- Sender's address
- Town or city
- Sender's postcode
- Date
- School
- School's address
- Recipient's postcode
- Child's name
- Class teacher
- Absent from
- Absent until
- Date of return
- Reason
- Phone
Common questions
- Will a principal in Northern Ireland authorise a holiday in term time?
- Rarely. The Department of Education's attendance guidance says it does not condone taking children out of school in term time, and it withdrew the code schools once used for an agreed family holiday. A principal may authorise absence only where the circumstances are exceptional, and decides case by case. Ask before you book anything, explain the circumstances fully and offer evidence, such as an invitation, a letter from a hospital or a leave pass.
- What happens if my child's absence from a school in Northern Ireland is unauthorised?
- It is recorded as unauthorised absence in your child's attendance record. Schools follow up a pattern of absence, and persistent absence can be referred to the Education Authority's Education Welfare Service, which works with families to improve attendance. The penalty notices often reported in the news are made under England's own regulations. Talk to the school early if something makes regular attendance difficult.
- Can I challenge a refusal of term-time leave by a school in Northern Ireland?
- There is no appeal against a principal's decision on leave of absence. If you think your request was not properly considered, use the school's complaints procedure, which ends with its Board of Governors; after that, the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman can look at how a grant-aided school handled the complaint, free. It will not decide whether the absence should have been authorised.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
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