Holiday fines?

[frozen1234]

Hi.

Im after some advice.

We have been on holiday and took our son in september. We paid the fine.

We have another holiday in march and wondered what the process is? Would we get another fine or do they take you to court for the second time you do it. Out of curiosity can you keep having hols each year and paying the fine? Or will they eventually take you to court?

Thanks for any answers on the above questions..

They can eventually take you to court if your child's attendance falls to a critically low level, and you and your DP continue to not give a shit.

Your question can easily be answered with a quick Google search though, or a word with the school.

You wrong about the google search actually.
So would 2 seperate weeks in one school year be classed as "critically" low?

As for us giving a s**t, your wrong about that aswell!!

Thanks

If the unauthorised absences took the attendance very low then yes you could rightly end up in court.

If you don't want to risk that then don't take two holidays during term time in one year

If you move to nottinghamshire you won't be fined at all. There are far worse things to do to your child than take them on holiday. However, the poor kids whose parents take them away and they miss their actual GCSE exams may mot feel like that. I suspect your kid is jot that old though. Sorry I dont know the answer op, but please ignore the judgement.

You'd go to court I think. Where it would be surely aggravated for a repeat offence.

The second holiday this year is not set in stone yet, especially for my child. The 2nd part of the question was hypothetically speaking. One week a year I dont think classes as not giving a s**t.

P.s I could'nt add this to my first reply.

One week a year I dont think classes as not giving a s**t.

You are planning two in a school year.

No one needs two term time holidays in a year.

defineme as someone working in a Nottinghamshire school that has fined parents I'm not sure why you say that- if your dc school doesn't fair enough but bit of a generalisation!

Op- depends on how long the holidays are eg. 10 days in total? Would also depend om any other absence such as illness as all based on % attendance.

Why are you taking them out in term time. There are lots of school holidays.

The teacher do give a shit, because 2 weeks is a lot to miss of school time.

Op. What you do with your kids is your business.
I don't think you will be popular with the school though.
Personally. I think 2 term time hols is 1 too many but I don't know your circumstances or child's age.

No one can tell you exactly what would happen, that depends on how your school and local EWO decide to handle it, but if you continue to do it then you do run the risk of being prosecuted.

I don't know. But you are showing a great disrepect towrds the school.
Kids get loads of holidays. Why not take them then?

The second holiday this year is not set in stone yet, especially for my child. The 2nd part of the question was hypothetically speaking. One week a year I dont think classes as not giving a st.

Then you're not being truthful.

In order for you to have paid a fine in September, your child would have had to have missed more than one week off school.

1 week is only 10 sessions and they don't fine for that, so he would have had to have had time off that term before the holiday, in order to incur a fine.

attendance has to drop below 80% before court action is considered.

I love that because the OP is taking time off to spend as a family that means she doesn't give a shite.

If you read it properly, it is because that time is during term time. Time spent as a family can easily be during the school holidays.

it depends on your school

Actually, I think it is down to the LA. The school has no say in who is fined.

Worra,

I think you'll find that depends on where you live.

In my county they start fining at 10 sessions. So a few people I know are considering long centre parc weekend holidays instead - holidays, two days off school, no fines :-) or to bring them back for Friday afternoon.

However, the county next to me has zero tolerance and will fine for a single unauthorised absence. They wanted to fine my friend for taking her daughter out of school for an afternoon!

It really does vary.

I find it quite shocking that it has to come to punitive action to deter holidays during term time.
It shows a huge lack of respect to the school and stigmatises a child by such a casual disregard to attendance.

The fine is not putting most people off. Rather than a fine, the school place should be withdrawn to those that take term time holidays with an exceptional reason. If you don't like the schools rules, you can go private with one that suits or home ed.

We have another holiday in march and wondered what the process is? Would we get another fine or do they take you to court for the second time you do it. Out of curiosity can you keep having hols each year and paying the fine? Or will they eventually take you to court?

In my experience; Regular unauthorised absence would be drawn to the attention of the EWO. You'd be invited to a meeting, at which they, and the HT, would emphasis the impact of your choices. Your family may be referred to Social Services, particularly if you refused to attend, or didn't engage at the meeting.
If your child continues to be absent below the level that the local policies deem to cause concern, you can be subject to court action. You could be ordered to attend a parenting course. You could be ordered to do community service. You could be fined. And, in extreme cases, you can be imprisoned (unlikely).
Your DC will be subject to additional support. They may have interventions put in place to ensure they make progress. They may be collected from home every morning by a pastoral support worker. They may be given regular sessions with pastoral support to ensure they remain integrated in the school. Or, they could be reregistered.

Is it really worth it?