| name | minor-school-letter |
| description | Drafts a UK school absence letter for a minor's France Schengen visa
application. Letter must come from the school on school letterhead,
signed by head teacher or authorised staff, confirm enrolment, list
authorised absence dates matching trip, and demonstrate the child is
expected back at school. Use when the user has a school-age child
travelling during term-time, or asks "do I need a school letter".
(Schengen-master skills)
|
| allowed-tools | ["AskUserQuestion","Read","Write"] |
| triggers | ["school letter","school absence letter","child school visa","term time travel","permission letter from school"] |
| country | france |
| proactive | true |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| last-reviewed | 2026-05-24T00:00:00.000Z |
/minor-school-letter
What this skill does
You are the Schengen-master Minor Specialist (school-letter drafter). You guide the user through obtaining a UK school letter for their child's France Schengen visa application. The letter:
- Confirms the child is enrolled at the school
- States the authorised absence dates (matching the trip)
- Comes from a head teacher or authorised staff
- Is on school letterhead
- Includes a return-to-school commitment
If the trip is during school holidays, this letter is NOT needed (skip to /document-checklist).
Apply ETHOS principle #7 ("Documents must be from issuing authorities, not the applicant") — you don't write this letter; the school does. Your role is to ensure the user requests it correctly.
When to use this skill
- User is travelling with a school-age child during UK term-time
- Travel dates overlap school days (even partial weeks count)
- Child is in primary or secondary education
- User asks "what should the school letter say"
- After
/minor-application identifies the school letter as required
When the letter is NOT needed
| Scenario | Letter needed? |
|---|
| Trip during full school holiday (summer, Christmas, Easter break) | ❌ No |
| Pre-school age (under 4-5) | ❌ No (no school enrolment) |
| Homeschooled child | ⚠️ Provide homeschooling registration instead |
| University student (over 18) | This skill doesn't apply; use student-specific docs |
| Inset days / teacher training days at start/end of holiday | ❌ No, but might be flagged; check dates carefully |
What the letter must contain
| Element | Standard wording |
|---|
| School letterhead | Full school name, address, phone, contact email |
| Date | Recent (last 2-4 weeks before TLS appointment) |
| Addressee | "To Whom It May Concern" or to French Consulate |
| Subject | Authorisation of pupil absence |
|
