To be confused re school holidays as children at our school seem to be still taking them in term time

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which I don't have a problem with as such.

However I've just paid premium price booking a holiday in the summer holiday with the understanding we 'd get a huge fine if it was taken in the term time.

I'd have booked it in the term if I'd known it was ok to do this.

Confused.

The fine is £60 per child, per parent ... so 2 x children x 2 parents = £240 fine.

So if you were saving 2 or 3 grand, £240 is negligible.

We've got 3 and £300 would be a lot for us so would prefer to avoid it.

People are still doing it at our school as well, they are just paying the fines!

Schools can no longer authorise holidays unless there is some exceptional circumstances. Holidays can still be taken but will be marked unauthorised and therefore risk the fine

It may have been they booked their holiday before the changes or else they're happy to pay a fine. They may not have a choice for summer holidays.

3 children would be £360 OP.

So it definitely couldn't get be more than a £360 fine?

I'm not sure if it's the same for all schools, but ours seems to be fairly generous on the 'exceptional circumstances'. mine was granted to visit paternal family in south Africa, my friends was granted as her and her dh are doctors in same hospital and there is only one week of the year

term time, that they're allowed to take. I haven't heard of anyone getting fined.

it is an offence. it isn't just fine. they can choose to prosecute you as well. it isn't just a case of paying up and going.

But if school are authorising it how does that happen?

we are taking the dcs away in September

they are both going to be ill that week

and tbh if we do get caught and have to stump up £240 (for the 2 school age dc) we will still have saved a load of money

Schools aren't authorising, people are going anyway and paying the fine. Nobody has yet been prosecuted who had a good attendance record who took their kids out for a one week holiday, unless they didn't pay the fine in time.

Your allowed to take up to 10 days at my dc's school. Are you sure your school has 'banned it'.

Op if you have paid a premium to go in the school holidays, wouldn't it work out cheaper to pay the fine?

Hippo, it is a change in legislation not a ban by individual schools. It applies to all schools in England in the state sector

We had a letter saying all holidays would now go as unauthorised hence my confusion.

Give- I am wondering that now.

We're state, but in wales. You can take up to 10 days here which is authorised, anything over is unauthorised. I didn't realise it was so strict in England.

Op so yes, people at your school are still going on holiday in term time, those holidays aren't authorised they just pay the fine.

I wouldn't lie that my kids wre ill, they will know you are lying and you will be a laughing stock and the school won't believe anything you say again,so sibyl more likely to be fined etc

hippo we may have to pay for plastic bags but at least we get 10 days authorised leave

May move to Wales...will bring own carriers...

Our headmaster still authorises it in some cases. We took dd to a wedding last month and it was authorised. Some headteachers do still use common sense.

A friend has taken her dc out twice, unauthorised and they didn't bother fining.

Why can't people see that it's not just their own child's education they are disrupting? The teacher needs to spend time getting their child back up to speed, time which is taken away from other children in the class they should be teaching.

If parents think holidays are more important than their child's education then fine, but they don't get to decide for every other child whose parent sticks to the rules.

Indeed bee