Leave and attendance (schools)

Time off can be requested for planned or unplanned reasons, such as illness, business, family or personal matters, to go on holiday or public service obligations. It is the line manager who must judge each request on its circumstances and merits.

Attendance at work policy (schools) (PDF, 1.22MB)

Guidance for Headteachers

The School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document (external website) (STPCD) provides a model leave of absence scheme to assist Headteachers and Governing Bodies of Schools in making decisions about requests for leave in accordance with legal, contractual and moral obligations.

The guidance applies to:

  • all employees of the school, including the Headteacher
  • staff who are centrally employed by the local authority(LA) and who are subject to Teachers Terms and Conditions Document (STPCD)
  • staff employed in units or bases that are attached to a school
  • peripatetic staff who are centrally employed by the LA on the STPCD

The guidance does not apply to:

  • staff employed by DCC Catering or Contract Services
  • employees of external contractors and providers of services.

Sickness and attendance

Information and guidance about health related absence.

Family leave

Full details of family leave:

Parental policy (PDF, 737KB)

Maternity leave and pay for teachers

All pregnant teachers are entitled to 52 weeks maternity leave. 

Adoption pay and leave

If you decide to adopt a child, you are entitled to a period of adoption leave up to maximum of 52 weeks.

Parental leave

Parental Leave regulations specify that parental leave applies only for children born after 15th December 1999, the date the regulations came into force.

There is no entitlement for parental leave to be paid.

More about parental leave

Paternity leave

An employee who has responsibility for bringing up the child, including the biological father, the mother’s husband or partner (including same sex couples).

Shared Parental Leave

Shared Parental Leave (SPL) enables eligible parents to choose how to share the care of their child/children during the first year of birth or adoption for those due to be born or placed for adoption on or after 5 April 2015. The purpose is to give parents more flexibility in considering how to best care for, and bond with their child.

Leave of absence without pay

You will need to complete an application form to request leave of absence without pay.

Leave of absence without pay application form (MS Word, 49KB)

Mental health

The policy, templates and guidance documents below are useful tools for managers and employees to support mental health.

Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace policy (PDF 374KB)