OMG. Are these 'penalty notices' for taking children out of school in term time legally enforceable?

[Utterlyastoundedmum]

Not interested in having a debate about whether it is 'right' to take a child out of schol, in term time for holidays etc. just wanting to know whether they can be enforced from a legal perspective.

I have just read the latest school newsletter and am to be honest, very annoyed indeed to find that as of September the school are changing its policy on authorising absences. Until now it's always been on a case by case basis but now they are saying no absence will be authorised whatsoever no matter what, except for one day for weddings ( with proof!)

The penalty is £60 or £120.

Not very fair on any parents such as myself who booked a holiday for a week in October as we really CANNOT get away in half term this year.

I will not be paying unless this is legally enforcible!!

paperweight,

I HE AND send my children to school. I think it shows a true lack of imagination and sense to suggest otherwise for many parents.

In order for this to be most effect there has to be true partnership between parents and schools and a recognition that education is not the sole remit or a classroom.

Yup darkstoy

My dd is and her ht authorised 5 days last year as chance for her ho away without me or ds3 and do things that did not involve can ds3 cope is it accessible etc all things she copes with on day to day

But also let's not forget the lack of accessible accommodation . Eg centre parts 1000 villas and 20 of them fully adapted . So not easy to book

I'm sure schools would be happier to work in partnership with parents and acknowledge the value of the range of educational interventions if Ofsted didn't create so many barriers.

What i meant was are ill and disabled parents going to be fined if their child carer has to be off school to help the parent in a health emergency.
YY Human catapult i agree And i bet NONE of it has occured to Gove.

There is an interview with David Cameron in Woman magazine this week. Amongst other things he is trying to say that these changes will be so much better and when schools have the power to organise school shutdown individually that parents will find it easier and better.
Im not a parent but i can see its bollocks

Yup ds3 got marked as unauthorised in snow school was open but we lived hour from school and transport said well we can get to main road by you . I phoned school pointed out I could not even Get out my door in snow can't get to main road but nope that's unauthorised according up Them

Yup ds3 got marked as unauthorised in snow school was open but we lived hour from school and transport said well we can get to main road by you . I phoned school pointed out I could not even Get out my door in snow can't get to main road but nope that's unauthorised according up Them

Again - not the school's decision. If the school is open pupils who don't make it due to snow have to be marked as unauthorised. If the school is closed all absences are obviously authorised. The schools don't make the rules on this.

So if lots of people are in agreement that the rule "no holidays in school time" is a stupid one, what should the rule be? And how would it be implemented?

The rule should be that all parents are responsible for their children's education, and may access state run provision if they choose.

Schools should adopt a stage not age provision and parents have the option of having their children's learning should be overseen by a qualified teacher if they opt for the national curriculum.

Schools should have up to date virtual learning facilities and children should be able to access their lessons and work from anywhere in the world and at weekends.

Schools should be centres of excellence when it comes to education, and support parents and facilitate the learning of the children and should constantly be looking to ways of extending learning to the community and through parents.

Schools should lose their hypocrisy of complaining that parents don't come to parents evenings and school concerts whilst refusing their own staff time off to attend such events.

I'm not in agreement - "no holidays in school time" seems a sensible starting point for those running the education system to aspire to -

(it is of course unachievable)

so what if lots of people agree that in term time kids should be in school where possible not having everyone and their aunt claiming to be a special case

when the rule at our school was "ask and you'll probably get it if you are on high attendance" we did, we were authorised and we took the kids out once, for a holiday of a lifetime (coincidentally their first holiday ever anyhow) - for fun - not educational, just for fun....

Now the rule has changed we won't be doing it... holidays away are not compulsory..

Holidays away ARE compulsory for us.

Our children have an awful lot to cope with and holidays are their respite and a chance to connect. I see them as therapy.

Sometimes it is possible to do them in school holidays, sometimes it is not, depending on a variety to things.

One thing is for certain and that is that my children are better in a rounded way, for going on holiday.

For us, it isn't the price (well it is, but we don't do normal holidays so some high costs are avoided) it is the time together, regularly, uncrowded.

This whole thing is stressing me out so bad :(.

For those of you getting really cheesed of with the restrictiveness and rules etc, you could do worse than investigate flexi schooling with a sympathetic school, the best of both worlds.

Starlight - "all parents responsible for their children's education " , what about children whose parents don't care about or value education?

'what about children whose parents don't care about or value education?'

What about them?

They should be treated the same way as parents who don't value other aspects of parenting, like feeding them or leaving them alone for long periods of time.

You have children, you provide them with safety, warmth, food and an education.

Hotbots. I've been through 5 schools with my ds trying to find one that 'worked'. None of them would allow flexi-schooling despite on the surface looking like a sympathetic and flexible school.

It's not unheard of, but it is extremely rare. To do with funding iirc.

"So if lots of people are in agreement that the rule "no holidays in school time" is a stupid one, what should the rule be? And how would it be implemented?"

The same system as is used now, or rather will be up until September. I can't see any real issue with it, tbh. Our head has granted and refused leave of absence. She's an intelligent woman. She can make that call.

exactly Marmalade - we used to take 10 days MAXIMUM - because my children have 2 family holidays as they have 2 families

I struggle to get time off in holiday time - we tended to go half way through whit and miss 3 days of school - their dad would take them in September

it's not educational for me - it's fun - we have a wonderful time, build some great memories and I get a break

Thing is, if you are given an authorised time, you won't feel inclined to take the piss. Unless you are a parent that takes the piss anyway in which case you won't care about authorised or not.

yup! Our head had to approve any holiday - it depended on the kids attendance mainly - if it was above 94% it was okay

I applied to flexi school, last year got turned down and yet to find ant school in entire county that flexi schools.

Theres a special one in hollingsclough odd rural school in midlands I think and

also a few guardian lovies in london

www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/dec/05/rise-of-flexi-schooling

My headteacher dident have clue what it was.
The lea said they had no problem in theory.

devon did have flexischooling policy but was at discretion of the head
who after 2meetings and good typed up proposal said no best place for child is in the school.

How does authorised and unauthorised affect school attendance figures?
I'm a bit unclear on that.
Surely if you're looking at truancy then unauthorised is bad and affects the schools attendance scores but authorised shouldn't?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/a1694625-flexi-schooling-banned

no use of code b so absent so yes no school would agree if thats the case.

I would flexi-school if I could.

I think lots of parents would starlight but although its legal option its difficult one and going down as unauthorised makes it impossible as child would hve low attendance record.

I dod think some of your suggestions about modernising schools and access to stuff from home be great -solution to shortage of school places part time pupils.

There are a few online schools and unis and they seem to manage it,

I got unauthorised in snow as lived further away and couldent make it in all local schools round me were shut.

But why unauthorised? Why even authorised?

Why not simply educated off-site?

The school now has to supervise this now, but supervision can take a variety of forms, not least virtual.