To ask how does unauthorised absence work?

[PaperWhiteDaisy]

My DC has recently started school (reception). I’m planning to take some holiday out of term time (after they have turned age 5). Having read the school policies, it will be unauthorised absence, as they say they never approve holiday requests.

In that case, do you just email the school office on the first day and advise that DC will be away for 2 weeks? Did you receive the fine by post? The council website says £60/120 per parent, so I assume maybe it’s £60 per parent per week of absence?

My DH thinks we should tell the school in advance, but I’m not sure they need to know if it isn’t going to be approved, so is there any point getting a rejection in advance and then ignoring it?

Thanks all. Ok, I’ll let the school know in advance as a courtesy. It just feels a bit awkward if they say it’s unapproved and I say “thanks anyway, see you in a fortnight”.

It isn’t a cost thing. More about crowds, as outside school holidays is nicer based on past experience.

Thanks :)

Depends where you are op, are you in England? You don't get fined in Scotland, we're taking dc away for a week in December weeks time and sent them in with a letter today.

Would just be polite about it and let them know.

My son’s primary has an absence form you fill in in advance - his school will also authorise term time holidays

Has the rules changed? When my DC were in primary it wasn't possible to have an authorised holiday unless in very exceptional circumstances

At my sons school you request the leave, they decline it as authorised and put it as unauthorised - they therefore know child won't be there which is fair.

We don't get fined at the moment but new head is considering this. The issue is the fine doesn't even go to the school the LA get it.

@coconuttelegraph I think his school is unusual in allowing this as you’re not the first person to say that - but it’s definitely their policy, they explain it when the children start and we got a letter outlining it all last year. Until this year they would actually authorise two weeks, they’ve only just reduced it to one (as long as the child otherwise has good attendance). It’s a regular English state primary.

@SpotlessMind

I think your school is in breach of the rules, I thought I'd check and this is from www.gov.uk

Holidays in term time

You have to get permission from the head teacher if you want to take your child out of school during term time

You can only do this if:

you make an application to the head teacher in advance (as a parent the child normally lives with)
there are exceptional circumstances

So the exceptional circumstances only rule does still apply

First: how old is your child? School can only fine after they are compulsory school age, which begins on the first day of the term after they turn 5. So a child who had a birthday in term 2 can’t be fined for any unauthorised absence, unless the absence is in term 3 or later, if you see what I mean. We chose to have one day off per week until our child reached compulsory school age, school weren’t thrilled but had no choice but to accept it (before anyone gets uppity: child was v ahead academically). If you have a summer birthday you can’t be fined in reception at all.

Assuming that they are compulsory school age when you holiday...

Theschool can choose whether or not to fine. I overheard our head explaining to another parent that they usually let people have 5 days unauthorised absences before issuing a fine. Some schools fine straight away, some never fine. Might be worth an informal chat with the head saying that you have no choice over the timing of the holiday and want to check the likely consequences.

Be careful on the level of fine though. Again this varies by school, but they are allowed to fine PER SESSION (2 sessions per day) as well as per parent so if you have a cross head then I believe the maximum could be as much as £240 per day in total. Not 100% sure I’m remembering that right though.

I'm planning on doing something similar but will be telling the school in advance so worksheets can be sent home etc.

Please don’t. Teachers have enough work to do without being expected to find worksheets to appease your guilt for taking a holiday!

sirzy firstly, that's what we've been told to do by a member of staff from the school. No extra work involved apart from ensuring we get the home learning sheets a couple of weeks early.

Secondly, zero guilt here. It's an amazing opportunity for all of us.

Check whether they will be compulsory school age - it is the beginning of the term following their 5th Birthday.

Ask on a local facebook site about your LA's policy - our is £60 per parent per week for the first time.

Then make your choice.

It makes my blood boil when people say you have to ask the schools permission on what you do with your child - ask the school their position on term time holidays and fines and see what they say then let them know what you have chosen to do. But it is polite under any circumstances to let them know your child will be absent for a period of time.

I don’t know if anybody has been fined at our school but I do know friends have taken their dc out for odd days (family birthdays, eid etc) and they’ve been unauthorised and authorised depending on circumstances.

For myself I’ve been spoken with by school and informed term time holidays would be authorised for my dc as I’m disabled and would undoubtedly have an easier time if where we go isn’t packed.

Personally op I’d put it in- worst they can do is say no and issue a fine. Best case scenario they authorise it and you get a trip without it being a worry either way

@coconuttelegraph Despite that, that’s what the school policy is! I assume the head has discretion to decide what they consider an exceptional circumstance and they have just decided to take a very broad interpretation (ie because I couldn’t afford it otherwise is sufficient). It’s on the school website so they’re not hiding it but it does also say the school is unique in the decision to consider authorising any holiday absence at all. Maybe the headteacher is just a maverick, they have clearly not got into trouble over it!

Where are these fines charged in the UK? Do different areas have different rules? I've taken my kids out of school before and never been fined anything?

Parents aren’t fined in Scotland, my kids HT is perfectly happy for me to take my two out of school early for half term holidays.

Different schools have different rules on fines. You need to check your school policy.

Also head teachers are more likely to fine if the school has poor attendance, or if your child does.

Nowadays, exceptional circumstances exceptions are very hard to get, and the guidance makes it clear what can and can't be included.

Best to check first to make sure you don't end up with a huge fine

You will not end up with "a huge fine". It will be no more than £120.

No school charges per parent per day! The law is exactly the same across England. It’s per parent per absence, usually only after ten sessions per term.

do know friends have taken their dc out for odd days (family birthdays, eid etc)

Eid should be authorised absence as it would count as a day of religious observance.

I'm not doubting you @SpotlessMind it's just odd that a school should so blatantly flout the rules.

Like @Wrybread says Ive always been told that it's almost impossible to get a holiday authorised.

I was told by the head teacher at my son's school that as children don't legally have to attended school until the September following their 5th birthday (so year 1) so they can't fine you if you take a reception aged child out of school during term time, she actually said ' so make the most of it this year!' So wouldn't worry at all!

We had to take kids out last year as our half terms were different - I was off a week before they were. Secondary School - unauthorised but no fine. Primary School - authorised. So it varies even in the same LA.

I have taken my dd out of school for a week. I wrote a letter requesting permission and received a generic 'this will be classed as an unauthorised absence'

But the letter LSO stated that they would not provide us with any homework or any missed worksheets etc., which was fine by us.

Never got fined and no negative repercussions regarding bad vibes from teachers etc.

I can't believe how many pp think you get fined for every session. If that was the case no one would go. It's per absence and it's not school policy it's council. It's up to the heads discretion whether to fine or not but they'!re not all aware of the rules. I have a relative who works in the penalty notice department.

but will be telling the school in advance so worksheets can be sent home etc

It’s not the teachers job to provide worksheets - please don’t ask.

Children don't legally have to be in full time education until their 5th birthday however once they are registered in school they become applicable to the same rules and policies as any child of school age and even if you deregister them they will still be treated as a school age child as far as the laws around education even if they are not yet 5.

I know because I tried to fight this exact thing when DS was in reception.

green if you had rtft you would have read that I've been told to ask for worksheets by a member of staff. This is what they do....they just provide the home learning sheets in advance.