School fines help pls

It’s not dumb if you don’t take your kids out of school

Once we got a letter saying we were being done for speeding and had ignored the first two letters! We never received them! Unfortunately it’s their word against yours so suck it up.

We had to pay a school fine (well four, two kids two parents…) a couple of weeks back, when we logged into the system you had to input they amount you were paying (as in it wasn’t completed with the amount due). If yours is the same can you pay the lower amount now while you try to query it to show willing and that you’re paying the amount that should be due based on when you revived the notice?
Ours took over two months to come through and there was no way to pay until the letter arrived so it’s not as straightforward as just knowing it’s coming as some posters suggest.

Good luck with sorting this 🍀

Ah it's changed. Last year and 2022 and 2023 we paid £60per parent so £120

Cost gone up. Course it would

Rules are the rules and if you take your kids out of school you should expect a fine. I personally don't agree with taking kids out for any reason apart from an emergency or family bereavement.
The postal delay isn't ideal but hopefully if you explain you should be able to pay the original fine.

Essentially royal mail has failed to do act within its obligations personally people are missing NHS appt due to this (or so they say)

The whole situation is ridiculous and schools should send these letters via email as well to reduce issues like these where a 3rd party has caused financial strain

It is 21 days, not 14.

The process for attendance penalty notices is standardised across all of England. See attached summary.

This

I think our letter we got 14 days to pay it doubles - bit like a parking ticket

Well you've provided further context in this post. Omitted in your first. And you did say nothing would stop you taking out your child, which kind of suggests anytime anywhere. And the council have no option other than fines. Just asking people to not take kids out-of school term time wont cut it - the request will be ignored so a deterent is needed. I actually think the fine should be higher as often it still doesn't offset the saving for the cost of the holiday. I think it's wrong to remove kids during term time. You don't. We just have to agree to disagree.

I doubt councils make much if anything by the time the costs of managing fines is taken into account. They also have limited discretion.

You refer to a religious trip, whilst I won't ask for details, can you argue that it had to be at a particular time? And appeal against the fine.

OP, check the date on the envelope. LA mailrooms are notorious for being slow! If the date stamp on the envelope is a later date, one could argue that you should have 21 days from that date, not the date of the letter. Plus there has been 3 bank holidays in that time period - they shouldn't count towards the time period.
In order to not risk a further increase in the fine, I would advise you paying it now then appealing the increase.

@Livelovebehappy

I didn't even remotely say any of that. You just made up all your own points.

When I took my son out he didn't have important exams - because he was 9

And as much as I'd LOVE an all inclusive beach holiday, unfortunately it was only a caravan trip with his grandparents. Which he loved.

Will I do it when he's in high school and about to face exams? Of course I won't, don't be so stupid.

Whether you agree or disagree with taking kids out of school on term time is a moot point. The fact we live in a society where councils profit off of it is the scandal here.

Seeing as the fines re issued by the LA, not the school, clearly this didn’t happen as you're claiming.
‘Telling someone not to pay a fine isnt the greatest advice you could give.

I would email the general enquiries email for the LA they will get it to the right department.

Make a point that you live on a new build estates and received your post in bulk after the deadline, that you are happy to pay the original fine but not the increased one as late receipt of the letter was not your fault

I'd email that today, they won't get it til Monday and will probably take 3-5 working days before you get a response but it so you tried to contact them at the earliest point.

I would email today (and get a delivery and read receipt) just stating facts (when you received the letter, that you are willing to pay the initial fine) and call on Monday to follow it up. Hopefully you’ll get through to a human who listens and applies some common sense.

So you advocate every parent just taking their child out of school whenever they want? In the lead up to important exams? During important learning? And guessing you then expect teachers to pick up with each child on their return to cover missing work. But hey, as long as you get your all inclusive pool holiday. What a shit attitude....

Yes they can.

On both cases (reissuing and revoking PN).

I had a PN reissued to a parent a couple of weeks before Christmas. I've also had cases referred back to us and I've said no.

And revoking is fairly routine. We have revoked multiple. A school just has to tell the LA they want to revoke the PN.

The only way for OP to offer any kind of defence, or plead extenuating circumstances, is via the court.

This is false.

Was this before the end of August last year? If it was then it's a moot point as the rules have changed and the councils are being pressured to pursue.

If you repeatedly take your children out of school you won't het anymore fines, you'll simply be taken to court, where you'll get a criminal record and much larger fines (which you'll have no choice but to pay).

Not saying it's morally right though.

The council cannot refer it back to the school, nor ask the school what it wants to happen. Once the school has referred to the council for the fine, it's nothing to with the school.

Similarly, arguing your case, or using good attendance records, as a way of getting the council to revoke the fine, is pointless. The council are bound by their code of conduct (and all councils now have to have the same policies as of end of August 24).

The only way for OP to offer any kind of defence, or plead extenuating circumstances, is via the court. That would almost certainly fail as it's struct liability and the OP has no defence,

That's not helpful, my council doggedly pursue attendance fines as i know from experience.. your council may have been lax but ops might not be and it could cost a lot more if she does ignore it