AIBU - school fine for holiday absence

[MrsOprah]

Whats people experiences with these - ignore and they go away? Council doubled the fine and chased it? Successfully fought one with school? Got it taken to court and won/lost? TIA

[BeyondThePage]

Why? Every council will pursue in their own way. Looks like lazy journalism to me.

(my personal experience - no truanting, no fines)

[PumpkinPie2016]

I doubt it would just go away. Easy to avoid being fined by going on holiday in the schools holidays.

[PotteringAlong]

Just pay it.

[Justabadwife]

I would pay it.
I think ignoring it would end up in court or a bigger fine?

[Twofishfingers]

The rules apply to everyone, OP. Including you. Just pay.

[CaffeineAndCrochet]

Why isn't 'pay the fine' one of your options?

[DullAndOld]

tbh if you don't want to get fined, don't take your children out of school for cheap holidays.
I don't think you would get a fine for eg a family funeral would you?

[Wolfiefan]

Don't go on holiday in school time or pay the fine.

[Paddington68]

You got the time, so pay the fine.

[ghostyslovesheets]

pay it - why wouldn't you?

[HollyBollyBooBoo]

Hello Daily Mail one of your journos is being lazy

[arethereanyleftatall]

We always take about 5 days unauthorised per year. Never been fined so far.

[MrsTWH]

If a fixed penalty notice isn’t paid, you end up with a criminal record is my understanding. Just pay it before it doubles. It won’t go away. By the time a FPN is issued, the school can’t stop it as it’s down to the Local Authority who has issued it.

[GreenSeededGrape]

We took dd1 out for 9 days over Christmas and we've not received any letters. I was happy to pay the fine but I haven't received one.

[MrsOprah]

Daily mail reader - yes (guilty pleasure)...journo - no.....sorry to disappoint the journo hunters.
It wasnt a cheap holiday or funeral. But
Yes taken off. Wasnt even a family holiday tbh.

Wasnt trying to debate term time holidays. Appreciate some people have diff views (and dont mind their lives being state run).

Was just asking for peoples ecperiences.

Thank you for the input, from those ejo have never bern fined, but respectfully thst doesmt answer the question

[MrsOprah]

*experiences...having been fined

[Hoppinggreen]

You can’t fight it with the school because they do not issue them

[ilovesooty]

Interesting that the figures on the issue over the past year have been in the press and on Facebook today.

[IAmMumWho]

I've yet to experience this but two of my friends have. F1 took her two out of primary school for a 2 week holiday in America, got fined and refused to pay and to my knowledge still hasn't. F2 took hers for 1 week in Spain and paid her fine.

I personally think the holiday places shouldn't put the prices up just because of it being school holidays. It should be the same price all year long regardless of it being Easter hols or 6 weeks hols

[bellsbuss]

Our school only fines if you go over 5 days

[LoniceraJaponica]

It's all about supply and demand IamMum

[itstimeforanamechange]

dont mind their lives being state run

either home educate or send to private school if you don't want state schools and their rules.

There are 13 weeks holiday a year. Some people have very restricted holidays. But this would come under exceptional circumstances which heads can authorise - as they can for things like funerals and special occasions such as representing the country at sport or something similar.

Otherwise, go on holiday in the 13 weeks that are available. The half terms are generally cheaper than the summer, but depending on the destination August can be cheaper than September. You just have to be a bit canny about where you go and how you book and forget package holidays via tour operators.

As for holiday prices going up in the summer, the operators claim they reduce prices out of season, not the other way round.

[Lovesagin]

I paid and even had a laugh with the head of school about how it was still way cheaper than what then holiday would have cost in the holidays.

[Babyplaymat]

Have you heard of Jonathan Platt?

[Puffycat]

This is one of my absolute pet hates! I appreciate it’s cheaper to go on holiday during term time but it’s outrageous to take kids out of school for a holiday! Pay the fine!