A secondary school is offering parents the chance to take their children out of school for one week in July next year for an "enrichment week", the BBC reports.

Woodlands school in Basildon says this will allow parents of pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9  to provide their children with "opportunities that are more affordable".

During their week away from school, pupils are required to complete a booklet outlining what they have been doing and what they have learned from it.

The move comes as data shows rising numbers of pupils in England are being taken out of school to go on holiday.

In his letter to parents, head teacher Simon Cox says 15 to 19 July 2019 will be set aside for an "enrichment week".

"It is hoped that this will allow you to provide opportunities that are more affordable as they are out of the school holidays," the letter says.

"A full list of enrichment activities will be provided in school during this week and full attendance is expected unless the enrichment week documents have been completed."

The letter concludes: "Holidays at any other time of the year will not be granted and this enrichment week is not transferable to any other week in the school year."

Any family taking up the offer will be required to fill in a leave of absence form, and the absent pupil must complete an educational booklet while out of school that week.  

Mr Cox told the BBC that the booklet would cover modern languages, history, geography, maths and English.

"If, for example, a family went to Greece, we'd need to see that they have mastered some basic communication, for geography we'd need to see key information around GDP and population, for history, the type of place and how the past has impacted, English would be about literature and maths will centre around currency."

Pupils whose parents do not take up this offer will be expected to attend school as normal.