Unauthorised absence in Year 13

StereophonicallyChallenged I am only speaking from personal experience. Your DC are probably brighter than DD, and can take everything in their stride. Unfortunately DD is not like that and her grades would have suffered if she had had a lot of time away from school. She was also studying subjects that needed a lot of input from the teachers.

For the record, I don't think fines are enforceable in year 13 either.

Tapas I have an older child on fe too, so I don't know why you think I'd have no idea of the pressures of yr 13. I only mentioned my yr 11 as he us the one having (sanctioned) time off in an exam year

I was commenting rather on the way that fines can/cannot be enforced. I dont think thry can be enforved on OPtbh. I was giving my opinion which is no less valuable than yours being as we're all strangers on the internet

bookmum08 I agree that there are several students who stay on in 6th form for the reasons you state. I also think there are students who shouldn't be taking A levels. In practice these students tend to get weeded out. Some retake year 12 at the same school, some start year 12 again elsewhere, some get a job and some do some kind of training.

I guess I am projecting here because I remember exactly what it was like for DD and her friends in year 13. I feel that those of us who are questioning why it might not be sensible to take a year 13 student out of school have probably been through the pain of year 13 already.

Also, students spend time completing their personal statements and their UCAS applications at the beginning of the academic year.

The fine will be £60 per parent usually. You could just suck it up if this event is so important. Personally I think that you are crazy to do this. Is the event 2 weeks long? If he must go then I'd be sending him home early. (I'm assuming that it's far away and the 2 weeks is about making the most of being there etc)

Bear in mind also that if his chosen A levels involve coursework his absence may fundamentally impact this and perhaps others if the coursework is done in groups.

I would be more concerned with them missing 2 weeks of school at a crucial time and jeopardising their A levels than a possible £60 per parent fine. You seem to have your priorities wrong.

Good Morning TapasForTwo. The reason I said A Levels are only important if you want them to be important is because of this new stay in education or training rule. At 16 many teens have absolutely no clue what they want to 'do' in life. In the past many will have just gone and got a job and got on with life that way. However now they have to decide where and what to do with the extra two years. Some may choose A Levels because they want to stay in the familiar surroundings of their school. Or because their friends are doing that and they want to stay with them. Or because the choices at their local FE college are too job specific and as they are clueless about what they want to do in life they don't feel college is for them. Or maybe they found a college course that interested them but it isn't actually offered at their town college but at the 'other' campus which is 20 miles away in the next town and they have no way of actually getting there. I chose to 'stay on' at 6th Form because I was quite young for my age, clueless about what I wanted to do with life and terrified about leaving my school for the 'adult' world. University and the local FE college weren't even really on my radar. I stayed at school because I didn't know what to do with myself not because I thought A Levels were important. I would think that 6th Forms are probably more full of teens like that now they have to stay in education or training.

Whether he is fined or not will depend on the school and/or the Lea.
Although not in compulsory education in year 13, you and he have signed up for him to be in full time education.

It's like some schools/LEAs will fine parents of 4 year olds in eyfs. Although not legally having to be there, once signed up you've made the commitment to ft education til 18.

As for education and results after missing 10 days. That depends on his current education state, commitment, how much extra study he does, etc.
Many schools do allow time away for studies in y12 and early y13 for other reasons - mainly things like fortnight work experience, open days, etc. So they're not adverse to missing tine and it not affecting studies. However so much depends on individual students, their courses and their attitudes.

College are not entering in to any communication about it, rather frustratingly, and maintain we would be liable for a fine

That is unhelpful. Have they explained to your son why it's so important or do they just keep going on about the fine?

The two weeks of study would be my prime concern.
I wouldn’t even get as far as worrying about the fine.

Totally legal now they are expected to stay in some form of education until 18 and IMO quite right to fine you, taking them out if school for that reason in a crucial year.

Depends though.
If, for example, I was 17 and my brother had been selected for the Olympics and then won a medal and the entire family were there except me, it would piss me off until my dying day.
Education is important. It isn't everything though. Is it?

How independent is your son? Why doesn't he just stay at home?

They can't fine you, no, but I would suggest having s conversation with the head of 6th about it now, so that something can be put in place
In the 6th form I work at, we have managed to overcome planned absences with extra study periods, early set homework, additions to the timetable etc. (my job involves doing this for students who may require it)
If it's his only absence, and it's well planned he will be fine. The issue is if there are any unplanned absences in addition to this, that would cause problems in year 13, so all you can do is minimise this disruption.
It's unideal - particularly for his subject teachers, but the first handful of weeks in year 13 is much better than later down the line with good planning.

Just for the record, I was married when I went to 6th form. To another 6th former 😀
Although there were no fines back then, so I can't answer that question

Unbelievable!!! At NO point did the OP ask any of you for your opinion about her child missing school for this event ! Literally not a single word. Yet you are ALL so superior... omg!!! Ten days . End of the world.

None of your business. Entirely the business of the 18yr old and possibly his/her parent .

The post was about compulsory school. No OP they can't fine you. Compulsory school age is still the last Friday in June if the child will be 16 before the end of the summer holidays.

"However A levels are only important if you want them to be important."

I don't know what to say to this. If they aren't important then why is he taking them? A levels aren't the only post 16 option.

Op does your son want to take the time off?

I'm mildly baffled about why an institution, which is described in OP as a sixth form college is mentioning fines at all.

Sixth formers are outside CSA, so colleges just don't operate that way.

But they are very keen to minimise absences, because A level courses are quite short. Missing two weeks is definitely a big deal from their pov

A levels weren't modular in my day either. That's probably why I couldn't do them.
Yes I said I was out of date.
However A levels are only important if you want them to be important. We have no idea what the OPs son wants to do after Year 13. He might not even want to go to uni. He could only be in Year 13 because of the 'stay in education or training until 18' thing. I wouldn't say it's 'crap parenting' to do this. Anyway I would of thought it would be the 17 year olds decision whether or not to take time off.
But it seems no one will agree with me so I will say Good Night!

You are very clearly not up to date with how important A levels are now bookmum08

A levels are now linear, not modular. AS levels are being phased out. Comparing what 6th form was like when you were at school is irrelevant. As I said in a previous post DD did her A levels last year. If I had taken her out of school for 10 days at this time of year she would have been panic stricken. Your points about being married are also irrelevant. I agree that the parents wouldn't be fined, but I also think that taking a year 13 child out of school for 10 days for such a spurious reason so close to A levels is, quite frankly, shit parenting.

I would not let them miss school for anything other than serious illness, I might add the same for university. Only you can judge the event vs school balancing act but bar the Olympics (only every 4 years) i would question why they cannot go next time.

Oh and I do know several from my year group who at 17 who were living with a boyfriend or girlfriend, or had a baby and a couple of girls possibly had actually got married by 17 or 18. Not that unusual. They just weren't at 6th Form.

OK OK I am obviously wrong about how A levels are taught these days. Back in my day we probably had about 3 actual classroom lessons of a subject a week and the rest was 'free periods' - ie study time. I only did one year of 6th Form though. Essentially because I found this method of learning (basically being left to my own devices) hard.
And as for being married at 17. It's perfectly legal so technically you could quite easily be a Year 13er and be married. The point was about fines for missing school. Who would they fine? The husband or wife? Plus Year 13ers turn 18. Legal adult. Who would the fine go to then? That's why they can't really fine 6th Formers for absenses. It's unworkable!

Ten days? No way would I say that's a good idea.