Four year olds: Leave of absence is always granted for children aged four years old, as they have not yet reached the age of compulsory schooling in The Netherlands. Please however, complete an Absence Request 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 school time must return the completed Absence Request 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.
Leave of absence is generally always granted under the following circumstances:
• Moving house (maximum 1 school day)
• Religious celebrations (only on the day(s) itself)
• Wedding of a relative by 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 grandparent(s). Maximum 1 school day.
Supporting documentation: invitation card
• 25-, 40- and 50-year work jubilees of parent(s)/guardian(s) or grandparent(s). 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 vacations of 2 weeks in a row is not possible during the school year, 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.