Refer for Legal Intervention
Legal intervention referral - Term time holidays
The pupil has been absent and support is not appropriate (for example, for holidays in term time).
If a pupil has been absent due to a holiday taken during term time, and support is not appropriate, a referral for legal intervention may be required.
How to submit a referral
- Click the referral form link on the right-hand side of this page
- Select:
"The pupil has been absent and support is not appropriate (for example, for holidays in term time)" - Complete the form with all required details
- Submit to the Local Authority Attendance Team within 15 school days of the pupil returning to school.
What you will need before referring
Pupil information
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Year group
- Unique Pupil Number (UPN)
- Home address
- Name of school where pupil is on roll when absence occurs
Parent/carer information
- Full name of each parent/carer who took the child on leave
- Relationship to the child (e.g. mother, father, guardian)
- Contact telephone number for each parent/carer
- Parent/carer address (if different from the pupil's)
- Whether a translator is required (and which language)
Attendance details
- Exact dates of absence and number of sessions missed
- Year to date attendance register showing unauthorised absence and pupil's return to school
Leave of absence application
If the parent applied in advance
- Date the request was submitted
- Copy of the leave of absence request
- Reason given by the parent
- Date the school responded that the leave was not authorised
- Copy of the school's response
If the parent did not apply
- Explanation of how the school became aware the absence was due to a holiday
Additional requirements
- Copy of the guidance issued to parents (as per the local Code of Conduct)
- Referrer's contact number and email address
- When submitting a referral for an FPN, please ensure that you select the name of the school where the pupil is currently on roll when the absence occurred, even if you are a member of staff from a different school or completing referrals across multiple schools
This process applies only to unauthorised holidays taken during term time where no further support is deemed appropriate.
