School absence letter
You need to explain why your child was, or will be, off school.
Schools need a written reason for an absence, kept on file. Short is fine. The date, the child, the class and the reason are the whole of it.
Say whether the absence has already happened or is coming up, because the two are handled differently and a request for leave in term time usually needs approval.
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of was absent on.
Please let me know if you need anything further.
Still to fill in: your full name, you are the child's, your child's full name, class or year group, has it happened yet, first day absent, reason, school name and address.
A finished example
The same template with every field filled in. The names and details are invented.
Amara Abara of Year 4, Willow class was absent from 10 August 2026 to 12 August 2026 because they were unwell. That is 3 school days in total.
She had a high temperature and a persistent cough, and we kept her home until she was clear for twenty-four hours.
We have gone through the reading and the spellings she missed at home.
Please call me on 07700 900412 if you need anything further.
Absence: Amara Abara, Year 4, Willow class Dear Mrs Okafor, Amara Abara of Year 4, Willow class was absent from 10 August 2026 to 12 August 2026 because they were unwell. That is 3 school days in total. She had a high temperature and a persistent cough, and we kept her home until she was clear for twenty-four hours. We have gone through the reading and the spellings she missed at home. Please call me on 07700 900412 if you need anything further. Yours sincerely, Chinelo Abara Parent of Amara Abara
Questions
- How much detail does a school need about an illness?
- Very little. That the child was unwell, and the dates, is normally the whole record. Schools do not need a diagnosis and you are not obliged to give one.
- Do I need a doctor's note?
- Usually only for a long absence or where the school's policy says so. For a day or two, a letter from a parent is what the attendance record expects.
- Can I take my child out of school for a holiday?
- In many places term-time leave needs the head teacher's approval and is often refused, sometimes with a fine. Ask in advance rather than explaining afterwards.
- Should I write in advance or afterwards?
- In advance whenever you know, which is what turns an unexplained absence into an authorised one. This letter handles both.