DD is 7 year 3. She has several medical issues so misses half days fairly regularly. Her attendance is usually around 86-89% mark, only once have I got it above 90%.
I regularly get letters threatening me with fines if I “don’t take DDs education seriously and send her in” school always assure me that they have sent off all the evidence of appointments to Education Welfare and I shouldn’t get fined as it’s unavoidable – they’ve told me a few times they mark it down as an M but if she’s in before the end of the morning it goes down as U with a note saying it’s M and then evidence letters sent off alongside it. She’s occasionally been down as M for the morning but U for the afternoon as we’ve got to school right after the registers close in the afternoon.
So to the issue
ExH has decided he absolutely must take DD out of school for a week immediately after May Half Term. For his sister’s wedding.
I do not agree with it. He could easily fit the event into half term, fly out late evening after school on the Friday and back late Saturday, the event is a wedding for his sister on the Wednesday, he just wants to do it cheaply.
He says he’s taking her out of school for the 5 days/10 sessions and it’s not him who’ll be fined because he’s the NRP. There’s a CAO which gives me full residency. He says if I try and pass the fine onto him he’ll just ignore it and because DD is registered as living at my address everywhere and nowhere has a record of his address it’s me who’ll get fined.
I have told him I am not asking the HT if DD can be removed from school, and I will make it clear I do not give permission but he just shrugged and said I best make sure I have the money for the fine anyway.
I can’t afford a fine, and don’t agree for her to be removed from school for the week. I have no worries about her being bought back, all his family are here, they’re just wanting to show off abroad, but it’s his weekend right before the week, so that makes things awkward as I can’t not send her as I’d be in breech.
My solicitor doesn’t really know what to do other than making it clear I don’t give permission, I don’t have and never have had her passport, ExH has sorted all that.
So will I get fined? And would it be classed as a breech to keep her that weekend so he doesn’t take her out of school?
For added context she’s around 2 years behind, working at around Year 1 level, is just starting to read, struggles with writing, also has processing and memory issues, as well as her medical issues. I am keen for her to be in school as much as possible given she misses a lot already.