School Abscense Fine - huge amount

[PMDD]

If I am correct, if you take your child/ren out of school without prior agreement, there is an automatic fine of £60/day/child/parent?

So for us, a family with 3 children, a 2 week holiday in (say) June, would cost us £3600 - or double that if we don't pay within a certain amount of time!

Is it me to think that is totally unreasonable?!

That is a huge amount. The people who take their children out normally can't afford the hike in holiday prices, so how on earth would they afford the fine?

You described as 'the height' of arrogance - this I took to mean, the fullest example of arrogance you could think of.

I don't think it's arrogant at all. It's just folk living their lives. All my a/l is cancelled this summer due to commonwealth games. Friend in police is similar.

As I worked shifts all over Christmas and New Year - hasty opening gifts before I went back to work - I would like a few weeks to spend with my children doing culturally enriching activities like lying on a sunlounger or chasing them in the pool. I don't think that's 'the height of arrogance.'

numpty and retro I do wish MN had a like button for your posts. Totally agree.

Oh and Retropear I agree with everything you've said.

"NumptyNameChange "

Stazi like

Is all leave cancelled during the two week easter holidays or the two half term holidays as well UBK?

wallison isnt it from sept 2015 that schools can set their own holiday dates?

My children will be attending the same schools so wont be an issue for me- but imagine the chaos of non- similar holiday dates?

The fines are not in place for parents to refund the state!

My DC are not at School now but all were still in education when these fines came in and I was willing to pay £50 per child (x3) for taking them out usually last week in June/first week in July. I was never fined and the HT always authorised it. We wouldn't have been able to go away if we were at the mercy of tour ops School holiday prices.

All DC never had any problems, were never behind and I never took them out at exam times nor at the start of a new term. All 3 are currently in HE ( 1 A levels, 2 Uni) so never done them any harm.

I can see the Schools frustration when parents regularly choose to take struggling Children out.

Yes I do feel for people like Teachers who don't have the choice but to go then but with all due respect, that's their problem due to their choice of career - it's not really worthy of an argument really.

Well, under the previous Government, parents sometimes ended up in prison so I think the legality of the fines and enforcement for non-payment has already been pretty well tested.

My kids hated French and didn't see the point of it until they'd been to France and had time actually hearing it and using it.

Primary kids who have experienced foreign language and currency prior to secondary will have a big advantage.

"wallison isnt it from sept 2015 that schools can set their own holiday dates?"

VA schools have always been able to do this.

Why are private school parents allowed to have much shorter terms and take advantage of cheaper prices.Surely if their kids/education are so equal a week off for state kids which will still mean they're in school waaaay more is neither here nor there?

I can't speak for the UK, but I imagine the reasons are the same as here. It is because the required numbers of days/hours of schooling is mandated, but private schools generally have longer days than public (eg my school the bell goes at 8:25 and lets out at 3:15. The public school next door starts at 9am and let's out at 2:50pm. We also have a 40 minute lunch break and they have 60 minutes. Ergo, we have more holidays because we have longer school days.

i'm a single mother and i work and i do everything - literally, there is no back up system. if i decide that me and my son need to get away for a few days right now re: to go and stay with a friend because i need some support and adult company as i'm teetering towards major depression for example it is up to me to make that decision. i have mental health issues that mean i have to be proactive in looking after myself, meeting my needs, setting my boundaries etc. my 'family' relies entirely on me and my well being and i am steering that ship - i'm totally responsible for that ship and i am therefore the one to make the decisions for it.

why would it be otherwise? sure if my managing of my ship massively impacts on others, if my son has overall poor attendance or is behind at school (whereas in fact overall attendance is excellent, achievement is way ahead of expectations and behaviour is great) then address that specific issue.

i don't see why you're all so keen to hand over the reigns of your lives to the state.

VA schools have always been able to do this.

So VA schools could work away from LEA dates? (they dont do that locally here though- so 2015 probably wont make any difference)

Yes, you could consider home education (and you can take as many holidays as you please then). But you could find the costs of home ed. rather more than that peak time holiday.

I totally support the introduction of large fines and as far as I am concerned they can get social services involved as well to help parents to get their priorities right.

Either home school and go on Holiday when you want or enroll your kids in a school and stick to the rules like everybody else.

Term time Holidays are disruptive for the child in question and the others in the class. If you want to mess up your child's education that is your call, but you do not have the right to mess up other children's education.

If Holidays are so enriching, which I doubt in many cases, then I am sure you can use school holidays. There are plenty of enriching things you can do in the UK.

Sorry, OP, I have zero sympathy.

I'm not keen to hand over reins... but I don't think it's too much to ask that parents send their children to school during term time.

The woman who went to prison didn't go because she went on holiday though.
Persistent truancy is different to family hol.

Yes, VA schools have always been able to have different dates to LEA ones.

They, like academies, have to provide 190 days per year but it is up to them when. The proportion of schools which can already set own dates is very high. So extending it to the remainder is less of a change than it seems.

Lovesewingbee why would taking a child out of school disturb other children?

home schooling is not an option for single parents unless they are independently wealthy.

i wish i could afford an alternative way to educate my son. if i could i would personally.

i totally stand by the idea that a week off school in order to spend a fortnight in the sinai (which we did last year at the end of summer term) is more than merited. 1:1 ration adult to child, the adult being a qualified and experienced teacher, in a totally different culture and being exposed to so much v a week stuffed in with 30kids with one adult following the national curriculum (if they haven't basically written that off for the end of year). you cannot tell me the latter is worth more than the former.

"The 2007 regulations set out the procedures for issuing penalty notices (fines) to each parent who fails to ensure their children’s regular attendance at school or fails to ensure that their excluded child is not in a public place during the first five days of exclusion. Parents must pay £60 if they pay within 28 days; or £120 if they pay within 42 days.

Amendments to 2007 regulations will reduce the timescales for paying a penalty notice. Parents must, from 1 September 2013, pay £60 within 21 days or £120 within 28 days. This brings attendance penalty notices into line with other types of penalty notices and allows local authorities to act faster on prosecutions."

It does not read as £60 per day to me - more like a fixed penalty notice like other fines (parking etc.) - It is also clear that as a parent we obliged by the Education Act to ensure our children are in school in term time and a fine is the result of taking them out without prior permission - but only if the absence is extended - the schools still have leeway over deciding what constitutes 'exceptional circumstances' - but the main change is shortening the timescale for payments - the fines have been the same since 2007.

How does it disrupt other kids?

I was teaching in the days when everybody did it,it didn't have an impact on others at all.

Why is it ok for children to miss countless lessons for sporting fixtures and classes to be taught by a stream of supply for training,meetings and PPA time.The latter are far more disruptive.

You're talking one week in July when they're doing sweet fa anyway.

if i decide that me and my son need to get away for a few days right now re: to go and stay with a friend because i need some support and adult company as i'm teetering towards major depression for example it is up to me to make that decision.

But life doesn't work that way. If you need a break from work, you go and talk to your boss, you discuss the issue and you would hope that an understanding boss would grant you the permission for time off. You don't just disappear and hope that your job will still be there when you get back.

If you're having financial problems, you don't put your head in the sand (or you shouldn't!). You talk to your lenders and try and arrange a payment plan.

People need to stop being so adversarial with the school and start realising it is a partnership. If you genuinely need a break for any reason (outside of 'it's cheaper') then go in and talk to the teacher and the head before you just run off and do what you want. Exceptional circumstances (and a parent with mental health issues that needs to go away may certainly count as exceptional) are able to be approved. But talking, negotiating and compromising is the much better way to do it, just like everything else in life.