What does “throughout” mean in fee status long residence rules?

Hi,
I’m trying to understand the wording used in fee status guidance for long residence, which says:
(a) On the first day of the first academic year of the course, you must either be:
(i) under the age of 18 and have lived in the UK throughout the seven-year period preceding the first day of the first academic year of the course; or
(ii) aged 18 years old or above and, preceding the first day of the first academic year of the course, have lived in the UK throughout either:
(aa) half your life; or
(bb) a period of twenty years
My question is about the word “throughout” in this context. Does it mean:

For context, I’ve lived in the UK since 2013, but had a temporary absence of a few months due to my father’s internal work transfer to Germany. After this, I returned to the UK and resumed my life and education here.
I’m trying to understand the legal interpretation of “throughout” for long-residence fee assessment purposes.
Thanks in advance for any insight!

Throughout" in this context typically means no break in ordinary residence, allowing temporary absences like holidays or short periods abroad. It doesn't require continuous physical presence.
For fee assessment, temporary absences (e.g., your Germany move) usually aren't a problem if you've otherwise lived in the UK since 2013. The key is showing it was a temporary break and you resumed residence. check the uni's fees office to confirm how they interpret "throughout"