Schools get tough on holidays

Parents are being discouraged from taking holidays at exam times

Education officials in Bradford are adopting a tough policy towards parents who take their children out of school for long periods

Parents are being warned that their children could be removed from school rolls if they ignore a new leave policy which is being introduced by Education Bradford and the city council.

The new guidelines say head teachers can agree to 10 days holiday absence during term time plus another 10 days in exceptional circumstances.

Under the previous policy, parents could remove children for a total of 30 days before they lost their place at their school.

Cultural needs

Term time absence is a problem in some Bradford schools as parents from Asian backgrounds often want to take children on extended trips abroad to visit relatives.

Mark Pattison, the managing director of Education Bradford, said: "We have considered the cultural and religious needs of all communities in the district and believe these can be accommodated within the policy."

As part of the new policy, parents will be encouraged to plan visits abroad during the school holidays and not to take holidays during national curriculum tests or other examinations.

Bradford's director of education, Phil Green, said: "It is good that parents allow their children to experience other countries and spend time with relatives.

"But we are asking that this should be done at times of the year and for lengths of time when there will be minimal disruption to their schooling."