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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To call into school sick when actually on holiday?

199 replies

RosieLancs · 28/04/2021 08:43

AIBU to lie to the school and pretend the kids are off sick when we are in fact on holidaying?
In a rash moment I booked a caravan holiday for me and the kids the week before half term.
It has been a long year and I feel like we deserve a little family break.
I would normally go in school holiday time but it was over triple the price for the half term week which took it out of our price range.

I know I could land myself with an £120 fine here and if that happened then so be it but would I be unreasonable to just ring them in sick for that week?
Has anyone else done this and gotten away with it before?

If its relevant - after a recent parents evening both of their teachers said they were still very confident and well adjusted after the lockdowns of the last year and both are working at 'Greater Depth' for their age group so I don't feel missing 5 days of school will harm them in any way.

OP posts:
Original poster
RosieLancs · 28/04/2021 08:44

Ahhh excuse all the spelling mistakes, when will I learn to proof-read before I post?!

OP posts:
FizzyApricot · 28/04/2021 08:47

Just be honest and take the fine? Include it in the price of tour holiday.

OverTheRainbow88 · 28/04/2021 08:47

I say honesty is the best policy.

And also you would have to tell your children to lie as well, which isn’t great

nimbuscloud · 28/04/2021 08:48

It’s not fair to put your children in a situation where they have to lie too.

EvilEdna1 · 28/04/2021 08:49

The children always let it slip.

LagneyandCasey · 28/04/2021 08:49

Take the fine. The children will blab and make you look like an arse.

Whinge · 28/04/2021 08:50

@EvilEdna1

The children always let it slip.
This /\/\

Just tell the school the truth.

Redsquirrel5 · 28/04/2021 08:53

If Primary the kids will tell their friends or staff.

EscapeTheCastle · 28/04/2021 08:54

Or check to see how many days off incur a fine ( 5 for us) and come home in time for them to be back to school for that day 5.

Some areas don't fine. Our area certainty does.

OldLordy · 28/04/2021 08:54

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NeverSurrender · 28/04/2021 08:55

We just told the truth , and factored in the cost of the fine- although it was only one dc. Not going to teach my dc to tell lies is ok for the sake of £120. As it turned out, we've done it 3 times over the course of primary and only been fined once. Factor in to the cost of your holiday.

Hoppinggreen · 28/04/2021 08:56

No, don’t do it. It’s a crappy example for your kids.
I’m not saying dont go but just be honest about it and take the fine if you get one, it’s probably a lot less than you have saved anyway
Put in a request and then when/if it gets rejected email the week before to say they won’t be in

SnowfallSnowball · 28/04/2021 08:57

I’ve taken my daughter out of school during term time before and had always told the school. It’s not worth lying, especially as there is a high chance the kids will say something anyway.
Are you guaranteed a fine or will it just be marked as unauthorised absence?

TakeYourFinalPosition · 28/04/2021 09:02

If you’re going on the holiday, pay the fine. It’s the trade off.

Asking your kids to lie is a bad idea, and it always comes out somehow.

I won’t say don’t go, if you feel that you should, plenty of people will. But the fine is the cost of the saving and the quieter week away.

Nith · 28/04/2021 09:04

Isn't the fine potentially £120 per child per day, so potentially around £1.2K?

user648482729 · 28/04/2021 09:06

Your kids will let slip and it’s not right to tell them to lie

Hotcuppatea · 28/04/2021 09:07

I took both my children out of school (Y3 and Y5) for three days for a holiday. Neither had ever missed a day of school. 100% attendance.

I told the head and the class teachers. I said that I knew they couldn't give permission so I wasn't going to ask for it, but I wanted to be honest with them. I didn't get fined and we had a lovely holiday.

DenisetheMenace · 28/04/2021 09:07

Have never lied about our kids being ill when they weren’t: just couldn’t, karma and all that Grin

RichTeaCheddars · 28/04/2021 09:12

Tell the truth, take the fine - add it to the cost of the holiday

acceptableinthe80sx · 28/04/2021 09:14

Just tell the truth. Ffs.

GameSetMatch · 28/04/2021 09:14

I pretended the kids were sick and took them on holiday once, karma came and they actually were sick all bloody week on holiday 😂 I booked for the week before term ended so if they said they went on holiday the teacher would just think it was during half term.

Glitterblue · 28/04/2021 09:17

The one time we took DD out for a week, I told the head - I said I knew she couldn't authorised it, she said she wished she could, told us to have a lovely holiday, and we didn't get a fine.

Last year DD had to miss one day for a family wedding where she was flower girl and again the head couldn't authorise it but we still told him rather than getting DD to lie.

LagneyandCasey · 28/04/2021 09:18

[quote Nith]Isn't the fine potentially £120 per child per day, so potentially around £1.2K?[/quote]
Not sure if this is the same nationally but in my area it's £60 per parent per holiday period over 4 days. Double if not paid within 21 days.

3scape · 28/04/2021 09:18

£60 per parent per day for each child. Great if you can afford it. But I guess it will get some needed funds for LAs to enforce these a lot now that budgets are facing even more cuts.

MintyCedric · 28/04/2021 09:20

If there attendance is otherwise good I wouldn't worry about telling the truth.

It'll be recorded as an unauthorised absence but it usually takes a fair track record for it to get to fines stage.