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?

Theoriginal kids differ and classes differentiated.Most of my lessons involved supporting many kids to "catch up",it's not that hard.

is it just me who can afford to go abroad but can't afford to holiday in england?

i don't drive so camping is pretty out of range - how does one get there? how does one adult carry enough equipment food and whatever in order to camp for a week?

accommodation and travel expenses in this country are extortionate so hotels are out of the question and cottages cost more than it costs me to fly to egypt and rent an apartment.

this just go camping in devon business assumes you have a car, enough labour to pull it off (re: able parents), the equipment needed and all sorts.

Numpty - you sound angry and hurt but I don't hear much empathy for the situation state schools are in - they are required by law to teach the children enrolled - Just as we are required to take our children to school. This is not a fascist state - we have elected these politicians that make the legislation, the fines have been in place for several years (well actually I voted for the others but what are you gonna do!!??!). If a school allows every child to go on holiday during term time - then how are they to manage it? How about my special circumstances, or Mrs Jones or etc. etc. etc.?

You are an adult but you don't live in a vacuum - what you do effects other people, what I do effects other people... if your circumstances are truly exceptional then an argument for term time leave of a few days can be made - without going 'cap in hand' which refers to charity not a discussion about holidays. Perspective requires being able to see from more than your own viewpoint. Or accept the fine and add it to your holiday costings. Shit happens.

Theoriginal how do you make any decision for your child. How do you decide if they would benefit from an after school club every night or just a couple of nights. How do you decide what bedtime they have?

As a parent these are the decisions you make everyday without anyone telling you that you must.

As for 'why bother sending them' missing a few days or a 6-12 week topic is not the same as not going at all.

I am a bit surprised at the view that there's no fall-out from missing a week of school.

My 11 year old would be reeling if he were to miss a week. We could keep up by working with him, but what if parents don't?

My 8 year old could probably miss a week of school more easily, but I wouldn't want him to.

Well, even just with students I see once a week, it is a right pain when they don't show up - and I'm not even going to be judged on how well they do at the end! The stress caused to groups putting together presentations, or study groups, for example, and the emails I get asking me to sum up what someone couldn't be bothered to turn up for - it all adds up.

I would also worry for my kids that they'd get left out of the loop in friendships and activities, to be honest.

theoriginal there is nothing to catch up on! he's about a year ahead in reality.

The parents are not being fined for "going on holiday", numpty (numpty indeed!), they're being fined for not sending their children to school.

Being expected to attend school every day is not a recent concept; there have been truant officers patrolling the streets for generations.

Best holiday I ever had was a week in a tiny cottage at the end of the gower peninsula - sea views beach ten mins (down a steep incline) oonly sheep for neighbours - it was 'mazing - even the weather was good. Cheaper still if you stay in a cottage further inland - Wales is great for a cheap holiday.

Crowler well then schools need to pull sporting fixtures,G&T courses and trips only some kids can go on.

So he's covered the whole curriculum already? Wow!

i'm not angry and hurt! is that PA version of gaslighting or genuine???

i don't think you have to be angry or hurt in order to think you have autonomy over your life do you?

what gives you the impression i am 'hurt'? is it because i mentioned mental health issues? could you now, any sane person reason this, understand why i might not want to go and talk to a headteacher about mental health or my private life? given this perfectly demonstrates the kind of thing you open yourself up to if you mention it?

theoriginal friendships bro g damaged from being missing for a few days? Really? What about kids that sick?

and again i'm a teacher. i'm not blaming state schools. this is a state decision, not that of individual schools or staff.

hurt and angry

yeah i really want to tell people i have to have a partnership with over my son about mental health when that kind of attitude is out there

Retropear all of these things are planned around the existing curriculum. School trips are a part of school. I don't see your point.

I appreciate that this is a nanny-state situation but what does the school do, approve only trips for kids having "good" parents who will ensure the kid doesn't fall behind? Then what do they do when they have a band of "bad" parents who put together a case that they're being discriminated against? I just don't see a great solution for this.

theoriginal did you mean to come across so snarky?

Its not unusual for kids to be age ahead. Dd is in year 5 in her December 2013 report, she was hitting the targets required at the end of year 6 in most areas.

theoriginal - My DS1 is in year 8 but his working at grade is end of year 9.

He hasnt covered the entire curriculum but perhaps this is what the other poster meant?

Numpty, I've found the same as you re affordability of holidays. Like you, I don't drive or have a car, so camping is out. Holiday cottages in school holidays cost an absolute bomb, especially if again you don't have a car so need to have amenities at least within reasonable walking distance of where you're staying. It's actually often cheaper to go abroad, especially if you all need is a small self-catering studio.

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

Ha ha ha

Would love that. I will describe how I left my children, not just fir Xmas day but for weekend, Xmas eve, Boxing Day, dec 28 ( DP's 40th birthday) do that I could work fur the emergency services. I will ask fur advice on 'getting my priorities right' from equally stressed SS who us probably also constantly denied AL in school hols.

Ah yes, but I wouldn't interpret being at targets more commonly expected of slightly older children as meaning a child doesn't need school. (Also, people are sometimes talking about 'a few days' here, and sometimes two weeks in the sun - bit different!).

How do these kids get to be at relatively high levels in the first place? Might the school have been any use here?

Sometimes you might need your child to miss school, and sometimes children are ill - indisputable. But I do take issue with the idea that it's a) a god-given right b) not of any impact to anyone else c) never likely to cause a problem. I find the refusal to take any of these things on board rather belligerent and odd.

oh that's great then barbarian. no doubt a disabled single parent who doesn't drive for example would just be being a lightweight if they didn't feel they could transport enough equipment on their back whilst supervising children and negotiating public transport and call it a holiday.

this is the trouble with blanket approaches.

My kids have frequently done work and been given levels for it that are a bit above the average for their year group - that is not the same thing as being 'in reality a year ahead'!

wallison yep. i've never managed to afford holidays in the uk. would love to actually. but it's cheaper for me to go far afield but then have really cheap accommodation and be in lovely surroundings where you dont' have to spend a load to have a nice time.