Fines for school

I agree the system is stupid, I was just explaining the legislation.

The system was never originally set up to penalise families who took term-time holidays, but that is all it has ever done.

Yes , before August this year there was much more discretion available from individual schools and LA’s.

OP, why on earth can't you take them over the summer holidays? Fines are the least of your worries here. Absences stay on a register for 3 years and any subsequent absences can result in parenting orders or prosecution. Doesn't feel likely you'll be sent to jail for a few holidays but having the state sniffing around in your business will not be pleasant.
If you need to be away at a certain time, just take a shorter period of leave. There's nowhere in the world that can't be reached within around 24 hours each way.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with relaxing at the end of term, everyone’s tired, it’s nice to have fun etc. Its annoying that watching a film, or going to a panto, or some other Xmas activity is ok and classed as educational if they are at school, but if you took your child out for the day to go to the cinema or a panto yourself it would not, you would get the missed education email. I think it’s maybe a bit hypocritical.
The school can say ‘this activity is educational’, but if you think something is educational and want to do it in term time, it’s just not and you get a fine.

I taught my class right up until Thursday afternoon. Maths, writing , reading, spelling test and history. Then a party on Friday morning before a lunchtime finish.
I had parents complain I hadn’t let them watch a film and make decorations - you can’t win.

OP the fine is per parent, per child per holiday in our authority and you are fined by the authority not the school we don’t get to decide.

I’ve seen it applied differently but maybe that was before the country wide rules.

They are correct in what they are saying. It is very irritating when people write things as factual when they are not. The law is the same across the whole of England.

That’s simply not true. It’s not “the next week” it’s the next period of absence.

Where I am it will £80 per parent per child for the first week if paid with in 21 days or £160 per parent per child if paid within 28 days. The next week will then be straight to £160 per child per week. So total is £960 if 2 children for 2 weeks holiday and you paid within 21 days. Then any further absence of 5 days or more within the next 3 years will be straight to court

There are different stages and can include prison time for parents (very rare). Different counties also differ. But clearly you’re the expert. You do realise you can “correct” someone without being insulting don’t you?

This would be the fine in my area.

Its a stupid system. They have a week off, back in for a week, then another week off... Two fines.

Off for three weeks... one fine.

What on earth is wrong with a couple of movies at the end of term?
The kids and teachers are frazzled. Also, it's nice for kids to watch a film together. Some won't have a nice home that puts on age appropriate films.

Very surprised if that happens much now adays. Our school was doing lots of assessments and learning in the last week. There was one film at the end of the final day, but until then it was continuous learning. The curriculum is huge now and there simply isn't as much time for fun as there used to be.

I really don't understand your point?

The fact is you get fined for 10 sessions or more, you don't get fined more for more sessions lost - you won't get fined double if you miss 20 sessions at the same time - it's a flat fee.

I'm really not sure how that is so hard for you to comprehend?

The fines are a flat fee per absence.

This is a fact laid down by government legislation not what I think, unlike your point!

After yesterday (last day if term), I'm insulted that anyone thinks my students just spent the day 'watching films'.

My y11s did some exam writing prep.

My y10s studied 'A Christmas Carol' this term, so we continued some work based on that. But considering the text, this was nice and easy to feel Christmassy. We did not watch 'A Christmas Carol', even though I would have been justified in showing it, as it we have just finished reading it, and it is a text for their GCSE exam next year. Most of them have already seen at least one film version of this story at some point, and so I didn't want to waste their time by only showing half a movie.

I had my y8s period 5 after lunch (no early finish for us). I had planned an activity lesson where Santa had been kidnapped. They had to read and make inferences from my clues to find him, and then wrote me a police report.
This lesson took ages for me to plan for what I expected to be a very lively class, after lunch, during the last lesson before the break. Yes, it was a Christmas themed lesson, and more relaxed than my usual lessons with them. But, it was still subject-related, all the students were still working and learning/using skills they need in my subject (English), and I got some very decent pieces of writing from some of my more disruptive and disengaged learners - they enjoyed finding, and writing about, Santa!

Not a film in sight. I don't know any colleague who did.

@WellThisIsStupid do you think they fine for 10 days but more than that just go sure why not?

How will it be double? It's 14 sessions so will be charged at £80 per parent, per child. If it was 20 sessions it would still be £80 per parent, per child. The TPN referred to the period of absence of 10 consecutive sessions or more, it doesn't rise incrementally.

What is the £128 for?

Yes, and you're right also for my child who is in Y1 (age 6). All of the things you've said are, in their way, as valuable as the more formal learning they do the rest of the year and the social, emotional and more practical elements of what they've been doing this week are important skills.

My child in Y4 (aged 9), not so much. Regardless, she has had a lovely week and I'm glad she is at a school where the teachers make the effort to give them a bit of fun downtime (whilst no doubt also running around like blue arsed flies doing other stuff behind the scenes!).

I do take your point that there is less formal learning the last week of Christmas term/ school year. Taking children the last week of term has less impact on their learning than the rest of the year when they miss a huge chunk of a topic or unit of work.

This week your children have...

• learned about the nativity story
• developed drama skills / singing skills / built confidence
• practised oracy skills
• worked as a team for a shared goal
• learned different arts and crafts techniques, as well as developing their motor skills
• had experiences outside their normal everyday life, such as the pantomime.

They have been educated. Just because they haven't had maths or English lessons doesn't mean they aren't learning.

Most of these also took a lot of organisation from the staff.

It says 10 or more
My sister recently took out hers for 2 weeks to visit their grandma abroad (wasn’t authorised)
Fine (if paid within 21 days) is £80 per child per parent for the whole absence.
She was fined £160 for both the children and so was my brother in law
So £320 in total.
We took mine out for 4.5 days - they went in on the Monday morning only - the week before half term to have a longer holiday. DHs school had 2 weeks half term but kids only had one. As it was 9 sessions we weren’t fined

You do realise a session is half a day. So 5 days is 10 sessions,

It’s 10 or more sessions.