Leave of Absence
Families wishing to take their children out of school during term time must always submit an application form to the Director.
Three and four year olds: Leave of absence is always granted for children aged three and four years old, as they have not yet reached the age of compulsory schooling in The Netherlands. Please however, complete an Request for leave of absence form
Five year olds: Children may be exempt from school for a maximum of five hours per week, if the school week is too tiring for them. A written application for this should be made in advance to the Director.
Six year olds and older: Families wishing to take their children out of school during term time must return the completed Request for leave of absence form to the Director, eight weeks in advance, with the exception of medical and dental appointments. Supporting documentation must also be provided with the completed form.
The Director can approve leave ONE TIME in a school year for up to ten school days. More than ten school days can only be decided by the Attendance Officer of the municipality where the child resides.
Note: Leave of Absence is never granted in the first two weeks of a new school year nor for the convenience (or advantageous cost) of flight bookings.
Leave of absence is generally always granted under the following circumstances:
• Moving house (maximum 1 school day)
• Wedding of a relative blood or marriage to the 3rd degree (in the Netherlands up to 1-2 school days, abroad up to five school days)
Supporting documentation: wedding card or copy of the marriage certificate
• Severe life-threatening disease of a relative with no prospect of recovery by blood or marriage to the 3rd degree (no maximum term)
Supporting documentation: medical certificate or letter from a doctor
• Death of relative by blood or marriage (the 1st degree up to five school days; the 2nd degree a maximum of two school days; the 3rd and 4th degree up to one school day. Abroad: 1st – 4th degree up to five school days
Supporting documentation: funeral card or copy of the death certificate
• 12 ½ , 25-, 40-, 50- and 60-year wedding anniversary of parent (s) /guardian (s) or grandparents. Maximum 1 school day.
Supporting documentation: invitation card
Families may also apply for leave for reasons other than those stated above, but you must do so in writing eight weeks in advance. Advice about the approval of leave, other than reasons above, may be taken from the School Attendance Officer.
Families are entitled to take holiday leave in a situation where a family holiday during the normal school vacation is not possible, but only as a result of the specific nature of the profession of one of the parents. In such a case, a letter from the employer to support the application must accompany the Absence Request form .
In case of separated or divorced families where custody is shared, we require both parents to support the request for leave of absence, either by having two signatures on the form or separate written correspondence supporting the request.
Please be reminded that continued absence may be harmful to the progress and development of the student. The school management is obliged by Dutch law to contact the Schools’ Attendance Officer (Leerplicht Ambtenaar) in the event of frequent absences or continual lateness and this can result in parents having to pay a fine.
More information (in Dutch) can be found in this document on Dutch Absence Information