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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you got fined or not

108 replies

BanginChoons · 10/07/2018 13:00

For taking your children on holiday in term time?

I'm not asking if you should or not, just if you got fined. And if you did, how long did you take them for? Did you ask for permission first? And how long did it take for the fine to come through? Thanks.

OP posts:
shoelaces · 10/07/2018 13:07

We've only had 1 term time holiday. Asked for permission and it was declined but with a smiley face drawn on by the head. 2 days out of school for a long weekend so missed Fri/Mon. No fine or contact from LEA.

Skarossinkplungerridesagain · 10/07/2018 15:35

This year I have referred 5 sets of parents to the local authority and they were all fined.

Skarossinkplungerridesagain · 10/07/2018 15:36

You can only be fined if it's 5 or more days if that's any help.

WaitrosePigeon · 10/07/2018 15:37

We’re in Ibiza right now for a week and we haven’t been fined :)

WaitrosePigeon · 10/07/2018 15:37

Skarossinkplungerridesagain

Aww what a nice person you are.

retainertrainer · 10/07/2018 15:38

We took DS out for 5 days in May, no fine yet.

Skarossinkplungerridesagain · 10/07/2018 15:40

Waitrose I am actually, this only a small part of my role, and it's not me or the headteacher it's the DFE that set the rules. Oh and a bit of advice they can't refer you until you get back.

Skarossinkplungerridesagain · 10/07/2018 15:42

It won't happen in every case, there's a number of loopholes and for some schools the case wouldn't stand up in a court. Also our LA did not impose any funds last year as they were waiting the outcome of the one that went to the High Court.

Aprilshouldhavebeenmyname · 10/07/2018 15:45

Took 3 x dc out for a fortnight. Request refused but no fine.

Metalhead · 10/07/2018 15:48

Took DD1 out Fri/Mon once for my dad’s 70th (he lives abroad), request was denied but head told us we wouldn’t be fined if it was under a week.

About half of DD1’s class seem to have had term time holidays this year, some of them 2 weeks!

drspouse · 10/07/2018 15:53

No, took one DC Y1 skiing as I can't go on holiday in half term/weeks when there are snow at Easter.
School approved holiday on the grounds that my work required it if we were to do this type of holiday.

Usernumbers1234 · 10/07/2018 15:54

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

BarbarianMum · 10/07/2018 15:55

No. But I've only taken them out (from primary) for 2 days on one occasion and 1 day on another.

psychomath · 10/07/2018 15:59

Waitrose for doing her job? Confused

FFSJake · 10/07/2018 16:00

Took dd1 out for 2 weeks (on top of the holidays) at Christmas to go home to Australia, we didn't get fined.

Awrite · 10/07/2018 16:01

No fines in Scotland.

TheHobbitMum · 10/07/2018 16:03

Only taken the 1 holiday out of term and used the same letter to inform both primary & secondary schools of our absence. The primary school didn't give permission and the secondary school did Confused Neither school fined us

Wolfiefan · 10/07/2018 16:04

The thing is that whether people have or haven't it doesn't mean you will or won't.

Tjzmummabear · 10/07/2018 16:05

The more education they miss the worse they will perform academically. I value an Education - my children all go to school/hail/ rain or shine. Even in heavy snow they go. If they need to be sick they go to the bathroom. 190 days to turn into school out of 365. How hard is that? Missing Education seriously impacts on life chances.

SlartiAardvark · 10/07/2018 16:05

Yet every year the grades of the generations that were at school and had term time holidays for years before the bans get better and better...

It's almost as if a week here or there makes absolutely no difference to a child's education.....

How bizarre! Wink

TeenTimesTwo · 10/07/2018 16:08

You may like to look at this thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/3298958-Penalty-Notice-South-Staffs-Council

Parents got fined for 1 day absent (they say).
20,000 'prosecutions' in one year recently.

AuntLydiasSteelyArmPitHair · 10/07/2018 16:09

me and my kids and extended family are off on Holiday in a few hours. I asked the primary, they refused. I will just take the fine from the senior school. I have been fined before too but all my kids are v high achievers so i do not see the harm. They have visited 7 countries and we do not just sit on a beach, we explore and see museums etc so they have learned an awful lot. I do make sure they are in school for exams etc and this is the last year i will be able to take them out in term time due to GCSEs and SATs next year and the year after.

I would rather pay a £60 fine than see the cost of my holiday treble. I got a week to a greek island last may for £68 each all in. I would have been BONKERS to turn that down.

trevthecat · 10/07/2018 16:09

I took mine out for a week in May. No fine or la contact

FootballsComingHome · 10/07/2018 16:10

We didn’t get fined but the week we took was the week that the school was on a trip and dc was not allowed to go due to SN (!)

Wouldn’t do it normally but felt justified as the school refused to accommodate DC. Also would have fought the fine all the way, had it been issued

AuntLydiasSteelyArmPitHair · 10/07/2018 16:11

@tjzmummabear can you please show me where you got that information from? I would love to know which study you are looking at.....