School Rules and Celebs...

[SunflowerAnnie]

I know it really shouldn’t bother me but does it seem fair to you that a minor ‘Celebrity’, who sends their dc’s to a state school, should be able to take their DCs out of school in term time and then tell the world that they are all having a great time on the beach?

It is bad enough that they are also the only parents allowed to park in the staff car park when everyone else has to endure the daily search for limited spaces near the school!

The powers that be state that all parents have to abide by the new attendance rules unless there are ‘Exceptional Circumstances’. Does selling every minute by minute account of your life qualify?

I may well be being unreasonable but this has really made me cross!

[PoppySeed2014]

Not massively relevant but at my dc's private school we have to sign an agreement not to take them on holiday in term time. And the school are pretty strict about it (and none if my child's class have gone on holiday this year in term time!)

As you were...

[standwellclearvehiclereversing]

The 'celebrity' bit (and I use the term tenuously) has nothing to do with the termtime thing, though.

I took my 5yo out of school for 2 days to go to disneyland. Judge me if you like (I really don't care) but judge everyone - why link it to celebrity status?

[SunflowerAnnie]

Eek! I truly don't want this to turn into a celeb-bashing thread.

I haven't known of them long but the person in question seems like a perfectly decent parent... As I've said, it's the double standards that I have a problem with. I guess most well known people's dc's are safely tucked away in prep schools so the state rules don't apply. When in Rome and all that...

[StealthPolarBear]

"Twitter:

Kerry Katona @KerryKatona7 · Jul 17
Having the most amazing time on holiday with @mrgsjkay and the kids xxxxxx"

Hang on... There are another 6 Kerry katonas?

[ScouseBird8364]

No, OP YANBU, it shouldn't be allowed, in fact I can't understand how the heck her kids weren't taken off her long ago, as if she's given up the drugs no way?!

[SunflowerAnnie]

Paps in the car park? Not sure it would make a difference as all open plan anyway.

Its the double standards thing with the term time holiday that's bothering me the most. I would never do it as a matter of principle (yes it is a bit blowy up here on my high horse but it is Friday after all and I am unashamedly venting my gripe!). It just seems fundamentally wrong that such a universal school rule can be broken with the power of a wallet.

[LIZS]

He was paying for older two (or maybe it was his dm) but the younger ones weren't his.

[WhereTheWildlingsAre]

Too many assumptions for my liking. Op will have to be far far more convincing that she knows the facts before I would agree that she is NBU

[amyhamster]

I thought Brian mcHalo would keep them in their private school

[ExcuseTypos]

I think it's good the school let her park in the car park. You wouldn't want a load of paps annoying her and everyone else, first thing in the morning.

[standwellclearvehiclereversing]

Am assuming the OP has children at the same school as Kerry Katona the 'celebrity', wherethewildthingsare.

[WhereTheWildlingsAre]

I am amazed that you know enough of the details about which school they go to, term dates, special circumstances and that fines weren't issued to be able to get irritated by this.

Surely that are more important things to be bothered about??

[ScouseBird8364]

What car is it OP? I usrd to love car-spotting when my hubby worked in London and I'd go visit, right outside the Eastenders studio's Remember Roxy Mitchell's brand new BM M-Sport 7-series, bitch ha ha!

[standwellclearvehiclereversing]

I have no idea if it is Kerry Katona, btw, it was just the term minor 'celebrity' that put me in mind of her

[SunflowerAnnie]

If I wasn't so then I might at one of the above...

BUT, the principle is still the same: Surely the Dept of Education didn't set up the new rules as just another revenue generator?

Unless holiday Companies stop hiking up the prices (or, ahem, reducing them substantially during low season) then it's just another way of circumnavigating rules with our wallets.

[standwellclearvehiclereversing]

Just googled her and she said in an interview last year that she'd had to take her kids out of private school.

[Finola1step]

I thought Katona's kids went to a fee paying school.

[SaucyJack]

Let's not pretend the holiday fines are about anything other than penalising the poor for wanting any quality of life.

[ouryve]

The £60 was probably no skin off their nose.

[standwellclearvehiclereversing]

Twitter:

Kerry Katona @KerryKatona7 · Jul 17
Having the most amazing time on holiday with @mrgsjkay and the kids xxxxxx

[Kitsmummy]

Ref the holiday, they'll be fined the same as anyone else (and there definitely will be others taking their DCs out of school) so YABU. Ref the parking, not so sure, maybe they are hounded by paparazzi and would make it hazardous around the school gates otherwise???

Who is it?!

[SunflowerAnnie]

If there were genuine reasons for them to have to park in the staff car park then I wouldn't be quite so grumpy about it but there aren't.

[standwellclearvehiclereversing]

Kerry Katona??

[ScouseBird8364]

Aah c'mon OP, give us a clue

[LittleprincessinGOLDrocks]

Depends on the celeb