Absence

[ninenicknames]

Just interested to know as often hear in the media about unauthorised absence and fines etc ..

How is it governed when you home educate children?

I personally went to private school and my parents often took us out of school for holidays (experiencing other cultures etc)

But that was 30 odd years ago.

[2014newme]

What do you mean? You do what you like when you are home educating.

[PotteringAlong]

Private schools don't care as long as you're paying the fees and you are bright enough that being away won't impact on their league table position. Or just the former depending on their situation!

Home Ed isn't governed for absence - by its very nature you can be educated anywhere so it's just education taking place in different forms.

[ninenicknames]

What I mean is ....

If you home educate, you'll never get a fine for your child not "attending education"

So why in a state school then are you fined?

Can't you say "I was home educating on that day/week"

[2014newme]

Not you have to take your child off the school roll to home educate.Yoyu can't do it for odd days or weeks.
I take my kids out every year for a week holiday and have never been fined. Our HT can't authorise it but doesn't mind people doing it.

[ninenicknames]

Thanks 2014. That explains it then.

Was bugging me.

[2014newme]

To be honest hardly anyone does get fined for a weeks holiday. Nobody in our school has ever been fined for it.
It's in the media bur in real life it's not a big issue

[Sundance01]

Whether you get fined for taking your children out for a holiday depends where you live.

Head teachers do not impose the fine - they decide whether an absence is authorised or unauthorised. It is the Local Authority who decide whether to impose the fine for unauthorised absences.

Some fine hardly anyone and some fine virtually everyone.

[NewNNfor2017]

Local Authorities can delegate responsibility for issuing fines to Headteachers - ours has and HT do issue fines in line with their school policy.