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Original poster

unauthorised holiday ...so cross

215 replies

lostlilly · 03/04/2012 21:30

5 days I requested, I finished my degree last year and we havent had a holiday for 5 years!!! my dd is SO excited about going on a plane she burst into tears when I got the letter saying unauthorised. It states her attendance is 100% but it is unauthorised. I am really cross, we have to pay a fixed penalty, as if anyone can afford that at the moment!

OP posts:
Goawaybob · 03/04/2012 23:46

blubberyboo - excellent post

asiatic · 03/04/2012 23:48

Heswell, I am not aware of fines soming up in searches done by perspective employers, but being taken to court for non payment certainly does.

ILoveOnionRings · 03/04/2012 23:49

I believe fines issued for non/poor attendance are classed as a criminial offence, they are not like a speeding fine or motoring offence like no tax IYSWIM.

So was it a credit search or was it one a search to see if you had a criminal record (not making assumptions at all) but if you paid the fine on time would it appear on a credit search as you are not owing any money?

WorraLiberty · 03/04/2012 23:50

I don't understand how students with 100% attendance can be penalised and told their education would suffer

Yeah but can you imagine the outcry if they only authorised term time holidays to kids with 100% attendance?

How many people would say that sick kids were being 'punished'?

If the outcry over attendance certificates is anything to by, I'd say loads would be kicking up a fuss.

Heswall · 03/04/2012 23:52

I'm dying to type what my neighbour does for a living but am scarred lol

Goawaybob · 03/04/2012 23:53

Hes probably an MP isnt he? lol

ILoveOnionRings · 03/04/2012 23:54

Scarred!!!! What did they do last time you revealed it Shock

Heswall · 03/04/2012 23:55

It's the non payment that is contempt of court isn't it, that's the criminal offence, not receiving the fine, LA's can't criminalise people.
So maybe don't let it get that far and if it does offer a couple of quid.

Facebookhurtsmybrain · 03/04/2012 23:55

Heswall haha It was a corner shop believe or not... one of these little chains like Budgins. But lots of places run a credit check on applicants. And I know for a fact that banks do on employees. Fines don't show up but if you don't pay them and it goes to court it will.

Just to bring this back to op... if her work told her she couldn't go (I know she's not working but...) would she be so blase about the whole thing. Would she have gone anyway and got the sack. I know it's only her dd's school but she asked and they said no. So

it happens, life sucks Pay the fine. Meh.

FirstVix · 03/04/2012 23:58

Worra I understand that, I was referring to the 100% in the OPs original post. Consideration should be taken for personal circumstances. But IN THIS CASE there is already 100%.

I think a lot of the problem in general (in education anyway) is this blanket % high-horse each government seems to jump on that will make all schools miraculously 'above average'!

Facebookhurtsmybrain · 03/04/2012 23:58

Heswall Does your neighbour work for MI5 Shock

Heswall · 03/04/2012 23:58

I think people should stand up to potential employers who want that sort of information, it's completely irrelevant to the role, banks yes I understand their interest but the corner shop, no chance. And I'd be concerned as to what they would do with the information, have you suddenly started receiving lots of PPI claim back phone calls lol

Heswall · 03/04/2012 23:59

I could tell you FACEBOOK but then we'd have to kill you Grin

Mrsjay · 04/04/2012 00:01

sorry but why would a school authorise it , you are being very dramatic did you think the school would give you time off for a holiday , most interm holidays are un authorised , people just say ok and take their children anyway ,

blubberyboo · 04/04/2012 00:02

facebook ..most family holiday times are already dictated by employer requirements. You get time off when your employer authorises it. if you are lucky enough to get the same week off as your husband you would consider a holiday.

if your employer says no and you go off anyway you lose your job and the family income...the roof over your head, and food on the table. kids then suffer
can't really compare it to a week out of primary 3

Goawaybob · 04/04/2012 00:02

Are you usually this judgemental Facebook? The op, as a parent, has considered that her DD will benefit from this holiday, just as i have - it is not about being blase. I am certainly not blase about it, but my DD deserves a holiday and she will benefit from it. These fines and permissions were bought in to combat persistant truants and absents, i am fucked if i am going to be punished because there are families out there who have problems getting their children to attend school hardly at all. THIS is why these fines were brought in. I am certainly not blase, i have given it alot of thought - i wouldnt do this for definate at secondary school, and i would have to think very carefully (and it really would have to be special circs( before i did it in the last few years of primary.

ILoveOnionRings · 04/04/2012 00:04

In our LA the fines are issued through the magistrate court not the LA. The LA only collates the information to form a 'case'. Evidence is usually gathered over 6 - 8 weeks and it is quite a strict process. This is why I was surprised that the op recieved a letter from the school stating unauthorised absence and that they had to pay a fixed penalty.

However not done attendance since the new government so maybe I am a bit out of the loop for any new rules.

ILoveOnionRings · 04/04/2012 00:07

Also I am going to confess I was an attendance officer for 7 years (secondary) and did take my child out of school for 1 week once for a holiday - no excuse but it was primary school, Year 4.

missnevermind · 04/04/2012 00:08

I took my 2 out of primary school for a weeks holiday the one year. Same as OP DH had been given dates he could use, but none came in a school holiday.
We had not been away the previous year either.
I told the teacher we were away that week and was told I had to put my request in writing, the holiday had been booked and paid for at this point.
I wrote the school a note telling (not asking) them that we would be away on those dates as that was the only time my husband was able to get off work. And that as a Catholic school they would appreciate that time together as a family was very important.(Waffled a bit about the ethos of the family) Then I apologised for any inconvenience my husbands employers had caused.

The Head caught me in the playground later in the week and explained that it was not up to the school, or even her, that they had to follow government guidelines, so they would not be able to authorise the absence.
And that she hoped we enjoyed our holiday.

Facebookhurtsmybrain · 04/04/2012 00:14

I'm just saying what can she do... she asked they said no, she's going anyway, pay the fine and go. It would seem that some people on here want to trudge over and over and over the fact that it's unfair. What I find hard to believe is that some people think that a holiday is a right. If she's worked hard (which I know she has because I'm at uni too) then take the holiday... go, enjoy but seriously pay the fine, if it wasn't there then everyone would be taking their children out of school.

Don't all jump on me, only mpov

Now Heswall I think I've guessed... does he work for Ofsted?

ILoveOnionRings · 04/04/2012 00:16

face I hope he doesn't - are they not some of the most hated people in the world?

ILoveOnionRings · 04/04/2012 00:16

I say 'they' but mean Ofsted as a whole

blubberyboo · 04/04/2012 00:18

missnevemind..yes i once took DS out for the last 3 days of term to go away

i just sent in a note telling them he wouldn't be there..i didn't ask for permission and they didn't offer it. He always has had good attendance. if he had missed a lot from illness or struggled with his work i probably wouldn't have gone.

IMO opinion that's the way it should be. In hindsight i could've just not told them and on return in september sent in a sick note and he wouldn't have remembered that he hadn't actually been sick but had in fact gone to majorca :o

I don't think parents should have to jump hoops to get time with their own kids but if they feel they must fine maybe schools could use the "fine" money to run brief catch up classes during summer break..would earn a sub teacher a bit of extra cash & wouldn't be so hard for the parents to swallow if their kids were actually getting the benefit

Facebookhurtsmybrain · 04/04/2012 00:22

ILoveOnionRings face I like that... a bit A Team. Which one was he again, I hope the mad one?

LittleJennyRobyn · 04/04/2012 00:22

Does the letter actually state that you will be fined lostilly ?

We have had our DS2's holiday come back as not authorised (6 days).
Our reply from school was quite patronising, (i wont bore you with the details) and a bit contradictory.

It states that pupils need 100% attendance, (DS has had 2 days off due to illness) so due to that fact cannot be authorised but they do understand that ou holiday has probably been booked so we are to ensure that DS2 is able to catch up any work missed, on our return!!! (Which might i add he is more than capable of doing)

There was no mention of a fine on the letter.

If they issue us with a fine then so be it we knew there was a chance it wouldn't get authorised so are prepared to pay the fine if they give us one.

If there is a next time though, i'll keep my friggin gob shut and phone in sick!!!!

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