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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Can I be fined - has anyone actually been fined?

221 replies

Weathergames · 27/05/2014 20:51

Hi, I want to take my 3 kids away in July - meaning they would miss the last 3 days of term when all they do is watch films DS1 will have left by then anyway.

Can the school actually fine me? Has anyone been fined for taking their kids out for a few days (kids have 100% attendance).

I work for the LA (not the same as where kids are at school) in attendance and I know the LA I work for would not spend money prosecuting me for 3 days absence.

OP posts:
VampyreofTimeandMemory · 28/05/2014 07:57

gosh don't, they'll miss out on some vital education in those three days, maybe end up destitute forever as a result of not going in for three days when it's true that not much work appears to get done, I certainly don't remember being made to work hard in the few days before end of term Hmm

WeAreEternal · 28/05/2014 08:11

SIL and DBRO were fined for missing the last day of the summer term last year.

The unfortunate thing was that they didn't actually go on holiday until the Sunday, but they had leave home on the Friday. If they had actually planned their travel better they wouldn't have had to leave on the Friday.

The fine wasn't much but it ruined their DCs previously 100% attendance.

stonecircle · 28/05/2014 08:18

I've known parents take their kids out of school at bizarre times - early September for example so they've come back to a new class where everyone has already settled in. I would never advocate taking a child out of school EXCEPT at the end of the summer term when, from my experience, primary kids do seem to spend an inordinate amount of time stuck in stuffy classrooms watching videos. They may do some end of term activities which are worthy of participation, but I'm sure they don't do any academic work.

Before anyone starts saying that some end of year activities have an educational value, of course they do - but so do holidays. Schools want kids in right to the end of term because they don't want their attendance figures to fall - not because they think a child's education will suffer by not being there.

But I couldn't bring myself to lie about it.

merlehaggard · 28/05/2014 08:21

I don't take my children out of school in term times, they always have the correct uniform, are never late etc. That is why children do as well as they do at school. However, as an adult I feel that I can be responsible for whether or not to take them out of school term times. I have judged it and decided that I wouldn't, but I feel that I should be able to do that. I don't like any rules that don't look at individual cases. I once put my basket of shopping in a small trolley at the supermarket because it was heavy and I had a young child with me. I went to the basket only till point (the food was still in the basket and was only about 6 or 7 things) and the woman said "this is for baskets only, not trollies". She did relent when I said that the rule was to keep the queues to a minimum for people with only a basket worth of items. I have a problem with people making rules and sticking to them no matter what. I don't break rules for the sake of it!

OwlCapone · 28/05/2014 08:29

I don't take my children out of school in term times

You no longer take your children out of school in term time, which isn't quite the same thing.

lionheart · 28/05/2014 08:32

They will not believe anyone has d & v in the last week.

They will think liar/cheat/sneak/you must think we were born yesterday, or maybe, if they don't like the system, good for you.

tiggytape · 28/05/2014 08:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

merlehaggard · 28/05/2014 09:16

I no longer take my children out of school, having made my own decision not to do so years before fining was introduced. I made my own judgment school about my own child.

merlehaggard · 28/05/2014 09:20

I can see though, from other comments on here that not everyone is as sensible and you need to see the bigger picture to understand the reason behind the fining. I find it amazing that anyone would take their children out if school during year's 10 and 11, yet alone during controlled assessments.

ScrambledEggAndToast · 28/05/2014 09:26

Technically yes but in my experience it depends on the HT. I was allowed to take my son out of school on the last day of the Autumn term last year as he was going to his Dad's. My mum was driving him and didn't want to be driving home in the dark (it's a 4 hour round trip). I was honest and explained to the HT and she was fine. Three days may be different though.

MaryWestmacott · 28/05/2014 09:42

Merle - see, that's exactly it, there didn't used to need to be a rule, people used to not take the piss. Then bit by bit, there seemed to be this view that because HTs could authorise up to 2 weeks leave, everyone was entitled to 2 weeks out of term time whenever they wanted.

So there's a rule now, and if you want to use the state system, you agree to abide by their rules, even if you think they are wrong. You can campaign to change the rules, but if you want to use the state system, you are now asked to sign up to agree to them. And now it includes the fact that if you take your DCs out in term time, there's probably going to be a fine to pay.

The OP seems to be clutching at straws that some how she won't be fined because others haven't been. Find out from the school, but that's what you sign up for if you use the state system. If enough people complain to their MPs about it, it might get changed, unfortunately for those who want the state to educate their children when it suits them but not when it doesn't, most people don't seem to mind and most people don't remove their DCs in term time.

littlemrssleepy · 28/05/2014 10:14

I do wish all schools / LEA would implement the law in the same way. It seems some people aren't fined whereas others in the same situation are. I don't think it can be too long before someone takes an LEA to court on that basis. Personally I think the fines should stand as largely they will help achieve the aim of reducing absence. If I do ever take my kids out during term time (which I wouldn't do for a 'regular' family holiday but I might if we were, say, attending a wedding) then I would know with no confusion that I would be fined x and would need to factor that into the budget. Then I can make a decision about whether I can afford to go or not.

Doooooowop · 28/05/2014 10:18

I was the child that was regularly taken off school a day/few days before the end of Summer term. I got great grades, never felt like I missed out on anything. This was quite a long time ago. If you are going to do it I think end of term is best.

My Dad was a teacher, in differant type of school that broke up a week earlier.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 28/05/2014 15:46

I'm quite comfortable with teaching my DC that breaking the rules is sometimes OK, aren't you?

No I'm not - as others have said, if you don't agree with a rule then campaign to change it; if it's really unreasonable then lots will agree and it will quite rightly be scrapped, and if it isn't then it should be kept to. The alternative is anarchy, especially as ideas vary so much about what's reasonable or not

From the standpoint of an employer who's seen what this leads to, it's always a concern to see people thrashing around to find how they can "get away with it" ... Will this LEA fine me if some don't? / Can they fine on a suspicion? / What about the child's FB account? and so on without end

It's just a shame that, in pursuit of having things their own way, some parents don't attach the same importance to what they're teaching their children, and unfortunately those who insist "I should decide" are often less keen on taking responsibility for what may follow

Nobody likes hearing the word "no" but beiing an adult sometimes means accepting that we can't always have exactly what we want and teaching children the same thing; many classrooms today show only too clearly what happens when this hasn't been done

ziggy13 · 28/05/2014 16:32

In answer to your question, yes. My sister was fined, her kids missed the week before christmas and my DH's best mate was fined but only for 2 of his 5 school aged kids so different LA's obviously have different rules.

I have never taken my eldest son out of school for a holiday, i don't judge people that do but personally I don't think having a holiday abroad every year is actually that much of a big deal tbh and am quite happy camping or something if our budget doesn't stretch to a holiday in a different country, as are my kids.

Woobeedoo · 28/05/2014 21:41

My Mum works for a council office - each month she is handed a big list of parents names, childs name, home address, school name and absence dates to send out the fines. I'm not sure how much the fine is, I think its £50-£60 per day, counting from the first unauthorized day of absence.

Retropear · 28/05/2014 21:46

Nobody gets fined at our school.Several kids go on holiday like they always have.Just had a good Ofsted so attendance clearly not an issue.Glad we have a sane authority.

Original poster
Weathergames · 28/05/2014 22:04

We don't go abroad every year. I normally take them camping.

Their dad has been abroad for 7 weeks this year on 3 separate holidays to the Maldives, Thailand Vd Australia taking his stepdaughter and not them.

I have Tesco vouchers and and take them to France for a week for a holiday they will really love.

OP posts:
Original poster
Weathergames · 28/05/2014 22:04

Can

OP posts:
Retropear · 28/05/2014 22:07

Go!

What an arse!

Noappointmentnecessary · 28/05/2014 22:15

Seriously, just say they are unwell. X

BreakOutTheKaraoke · 28/05/2014 22:24

I've been fined. Took DD out for just over a week, got fined £50. This before it was made an outright no for holidays in term times. GGot a letter a week or two after I came back, had to pay it within a couple of weeks or it would double.

TalkinPeace · 28/05/2014 22:27

Question: If you've had your "holiday" in term time, what do you and your kids do for the 12 weeks a year they are not in school?

Retropear · 28/05/2014 22:38

Chill I guess.

Could you link to one of those reasonable holidays abroad for a family in the school holidays that anybody could afford?

newfavouritething · 28/05/2014 22:45

At our school (and am assuming most other English schools) the school has to inform the LA when there has been an unauthorised absence of 10 (+) sessions. A session is 1 morning or afternoon. OP, you will be unauthorised for 6 sessions so should be ok re fines this time.

I think it's a really good idea to discriminate and restrict holidays for some people, I am particularly looking forward to staff from the LA helping either with lambing at the easter holidays or harvest in the summer holidays, enabling us to have time away as a family during school holiday time.

The long summer holidays were designated to allow children to help with the harvest - not much child labour needed now that we have engines and electricity and all that shit. It's about time that there was a major re-shuffle of school term times to a practical modern day system, not something based on 100 year old farming practices.