By law, all children of compulsory school age (between 5 and 16) must get a suitable, full-time education. As a parent, you are responsible for making sure this happens, either by registering your child at a school or by making other arrangements which provide a suitable full-time education.
Once your child is registered at a school you are responsible for making sure he or she attends regularly. If your child fails to attend regularly - even if they miss school without you knowing - the Local Authority (LA) may take legal action against you.
The LA is responsible for making sure that parents fulfil their responsibilities. Parents are responsible for making sure that their registered children regularly attend school and any alternative provision arranged for them.
If you think you might need to take your child out of school, discuss the reasons with the school as soon as possible.
Reasons such as family bereavement or taking part in an agreed religious observance would be acceptable for short absences
Unacceptable reasons for missing school include shopping and birthdays