Fined for taking DD on holiday

[Strawberryshortcake40]

Yes I probably deserve a flaming here. Just received my fine from the council for taking DD out of school to go on holiday.

Which is kind of deserved as I know the rules etc etc.

However, as I have posted on here before. Her sister is very very unwell and has been for a long time. The holiday was thought to be something for her sisters recovery and it was vital my DD went for that for her sisters sake and to get a break herself (although it ended up that she got more ill and nearly didn't go!). Therefore homelife here has been harrowing to say the least for over 2 years now, DD deals with things every day that no child should have to.

AIBU to think the school know this. They know it was extenuating circumstances. They could have authorised it (and in fact her sister's school did).

And while I don't regard my child as a special snowflake I do believe that these things should be assessed on a case by case matter. And in fact I am the only parent to have been fined from the school! Even though many people trot of to Thailand or wherever for two weeks holiday every year!!

I will pay it of course. I'm just hurt that my DD has no help or support at school as she is thought to be coping. And now this.

tara
No Sen, no investigations. I’m sorry you feel judged. That’s not what I’m trying to do with either the parents or you.

Sorry, but you are mistaken. The school has the power to decide to allow the absence or not. They authorise at will. If they don't authorise it, then the head reports the parent(s) to the council, who have no flexibility here, but must levy the fine automatically.

That's not how it works in my school (and I deal with attendance). There is a very specific list of what counts as exceptional circumstances and, unfortunately and wrongly in my opinion, OPs circumstances wouldn't fit any of those. As a school we do not report absences to the local authority (except 'missing from education' which is unexplained absence). Our attendance records are regularly checked by the Education Welfare Officer and it is she that decides if she wants to take any action. Authorised absences are scrutinised and we have to defend every single one (we authorised an absence of more than the usual two days for a family funeral as it was overseas but were told by the LA to change it to two days authorised and the rest unauthorised).

Really where I took my ill child is not the point. Or do LAs operate on a scale where a caravan in Bognor is okay, but the carribean is not?

I would gladly swap never having a holiday again for a well child rather than one with complex medical issues requiring a lot of care.

As I said I will pay the fine. And actually I'm glad in a way as this has highlighted the schools perception of this. I truly believe a letter from the head saying she was sorry she couldn't authorise the leave but hoped the holiday would help my DD would have been the fair way to go.

I don't agree with Fines for school holidays..

There are many instances where holidays should be authorised iMO...

It is a stupid system and you are yet another statistic for the government.

You have so much on your plate...As you have said you will pay it but then I wouldn't give it another thought. Ex's don't get fined . You really have enough to deal with.

YellowMakesMeSmile you have not read enough on the thread to know what you are talking about!

Schools are having a nightmare with attendance at the moment. Ofsted can anhilate a school due to attendance. If a school goes down from good to requires improvement (which can and does happen due to attendance) some parents would rip their kids from the school so fast without even stopping to look at the true reason. Schools can't win!

No school I've ever worked at wants to fine. They usually completely understand the reasons behind holidaying in term time (don't forget TAs and teachers are also stuck to pricey school holiday flights etc) but if they don't fine there would potentially be lots of families going away having a huge impact on attendance.

My school got hammered by Ofsted for attendance and now HAVE to fine. If we didn't questions would be asked and our next Ofsted would be even worse! Ours in currently hovering at national average that's after a massive push. If we get a winter suckness bug sweeping the school we're screwed!

I'm not going to flame you either. As an ex-teacher and parent, I have to say that I think that fining parents for taking their children out of school for a holiday is nothing more than a revenue trawling exercise for a variety of reasons that I won't bore you with here. There are enough penalties for dealing with a child who doesn't attend school and plenty of reasons why being absent from school should be acceptable. I'm so sorry to hear of your experience. I can only suggest that you consider the cost of the fine as part of the cost of the holiday. I'm sure your daughter gained much from it and lost nothing at school that couldn't be caught up on. The person not authorising that absence should be ashamed of themselves. :-(

I am on the fence whether parents should be fined for taking their children on holiday, but I do think its incredibly difficult not to manage it as a blanket policy as many families will have a story of why they need to take a holiday outside term time.

Our school website is down so I can't find the forms, but the rule for us is that no term time leave for holidays is allowed unless there are exceptional circumstances - and one of those is the illness of a parent or sibling meaning it is the first opportunity for a family holiday (other examples is parent serving in forces returning from an active tour of duty). I would write to the LEA and explain the situation and ask if they would reconsider given the reasons

In general I get very cross about over-entitled people who think that the rules don't apply to them, and from what you say, OP, you seem to be one of them. I sympathise with your situation, but it doesn't entitle you to special treatment; and I would be more sympathetic had there been any hint that you had approached the school before the holiday and asked in writing if your daughter could be a special exception [everything you say suggests that this might well so], using whatever medical evidence you have to hand to help make your case. As it is you took the holiday without consulting them and anything you say now is going to seem like an excuse. And if the fine is only £60, why not take it out of the money you saved?

Schools can no longer authorise holidays during term time, it’s got nothing to do with the HT.
Whilst these fines are a pain for people who normally have good attendance they protect the kids whose parents see school as an optional babysitting service and refuse to bring their kids in because “it’s raining” or “we got to the bus stop and the bus was late.” These excuse are used unbelievably often...

I've just skimmed through the original thread, and have to say that whilst my situation for your sympathy overall has increased (and for your younger daughter too), I'm increasingly inclined to think you should not appeal the fine. Her own therapist advised against it at the time because she obviously wasn't better. Indeed, given that the holiday had been offered as an incentive for her to put on weight and she refused to do so, there appears to have been no medical benefit to it. I'm not sure on that basis how the LEA could find exceptional circumstances to justify them from departing from usual policy. At the point where you went, you were mostly going so as not to disappoint your younger daughter who has been through a rough time because of her older sister. I don't think that constitutes exceptional circumstances I'm afraid.

Sorry if that sounds harsh, but I think it was the correct decision here I'm afraid. 😔

Ultimately I think what your daughter needs is residential in patient treatment, not a holiday. And I hope she gets it, for all of your sakes.

Good luck for the future, I hope your daughter gets better.

Ffs Georgie the op did ask in advance and no money was saved as she didn't pay for the holiday.
Read the thread!

I think you should just factor in the fine as a part of the cost of the holiday. If it is only £60, thn surely it was worth it for quality family time?

I think you have done nothing wrong, but I can also understand school can't make exceptions.
It's better to just pay the fine, forget about it, and move on.
Don't feel hurt, you had great time, just think about all those happy memories of the holiday.

"Schools can no longer authorise holidays during term time, it’s got nothing to do with the HT."

They can. We still have holidays authorised because our circumstances are regarded as exceptional. Some heads are saying a blanket no. Others look at it case by case.

I think OP that you are right, this has highlighted the schools perception of the situation and for that reason I would raise this. I would be concerned about their possible lack of support in the future given that they have already removed the support she was receiving.

It's a tough one. It's hard when you feel there is no support, but rules are rules.

Ds was diagnosed with a brain tumour in january and we've been given a few opportunities to go on holiday as a family but we've had to decline as my two girls are in high school. We did however manage a lovely week away in April in a caravan through a charity during the Easter break so no taking the two girls out of school. Also April was inbetween ds finishing radiotherapy and starting chemo so perfect timing.

We could also have gone to Florida next year at a reduced cost through another charity but we've had to say no as all the school holidays are already booked, so we have provisionally booked to go in 2019 instead. Because it's through a charity you don't actually pay any money up front until one month before you go in case the child they are supporting becomes ill or relapses.

Sorry you're having a crap time.
I'm not sure it solely the decision of one person at the school? We don't get fines in Scotland so I've no idea how it works. I did have to ask for permission to take dgd away though (exceptional circumstances) & the head authorised, or her attendance records would have been poor & the ed welfare would have been informed.
Did your ex go? I think he can pay his own fine! But they must know you're not together & surely can't expect you to pay both??
I hope both of your children and you find some peace xx

Ffs Georgie the op did ask in advance and no money was saved as she didn't pay for the holiday.
Read the thread!

In the OPs previous thread she said she did pay for the holiday hence the likely confusion.

An ex-friend (Educational Welfare Officer) who presided over my children's schools assuaged, as did a HT, that family circumstance is also taken into consideration. Hence a working family pulling "troublesome" (seen as ASD, repeat-illness, low-attendance, disability et al) children from school for holiday are significantly more likely to receive a fine than a non-working (if non-working due to the above or long-term parental disability) family.

Then of course, there's the chances of the fine actually being paid, and it swelling Council coffers...

PrincessoftheSea "...its incredibly difficult not to manage it as a blanket policy as many families will have a story of why they need to take a holiday outside term time." But surely that I'd why it should not be managed as a blanket policy. Because families are different. it is not a level playing field. Some will be so poor that a holiday outside term tune may be impossible. Don't those kids deserve a family holiday too? Or the fat.ily with one autistic child who could not cope with crowds etc.

Surely a week here it there will not ruin their education so how can it possibly be on their best interest to not be allowed the holiday, or for a struggling family to be further punished!

Family not fat.ily!

Geordie1944 your post is cruel to call someone with a seriously ill child 'over-entitled' is utter shit.

Hels45, some head teachers can and do authorise time off. Ours has. So the system varies from place to place scoff is part of the problem.

TheVoiceOfTreason how is this not exceptional circumstances? Do you know anyone else going through these circumstances? I don't. I think they are pretry bloody exceptional.

MuddlingThroughLife I am so sorry to hear about your son. I do hope you will get lots of chances to go away together. Is not taking your girls out of school because you are not allowed to or because they, or you, do not to?