Fine for taking kid out of school- 8 days?

[NeedToGoOut]

Just got penalty notice letters for DH and I.

We only took DC out of school last month for 8 days, first ever time. I didn’t think a penalty was given unless DC is taken out for 10 days?

DC had 100% attendance outside of that and is top of year. No effect on education at all. Had assessments the week after we returned and got 97-100%!

AIBU to be a bit pissed off the school ran straight to LA to rat on us?

They didn't rat on you, they followed their attendance policy which should set out the criteria for how many days triggers a fine.

In our school it's 5 days.

All things considered I don't think you are being unreasonable to take your child away, but surely you do it knowing you'll likely get fined.

Just before the summer holidays? Did they really miss much? Gove has a lot to answer for -his ban on term time holidays should be overturned.

It's an automatic referral, designed to protect kids. The school has very little role in it.

Buts it's the head who decides this. They decide if they want to fine people or not.

I was attacked on the 11th by another school mum just around the corner from school after the school run. I kept my children off for 6 days because I was frightened to take them. School wont fine me for that and that's because the head has made the decision not to

Ex primary school teacher here. Sometimes I get really tired of explaining this, but will try to get this across.... Yes. Your child may well benefit from being taken out of school during term time and may have learnt a lot - but probably not the same things the rest of the class was learning. So, are you going to pay for your child to be tutored to help him / her catch up on what he / she missed while you were away? Or do you expect the teacher to do this in her break or lunch time? At some point your child is going to have to catch up on the learning missed in class. When I gave up teaching, I tutored primary school age children. Some of them had, through absence or illness etc, missed some crucial building blocks covered in primary school and then had real difficulties in onward learning. It may seem like nothing now to you, but believe me, it might well make a difference later on.

Hi,

please don’t get tired of explaining something - just don’t.
Patronising opinions aren’t valid opinions anyway.
Did you talk to your school children in a degrading manor? Just wondering, because if you communicate in this way to adults it’s probably as a course of habit, isn’t it Snippy?!

I know all about teaching thank you, and the school system, and it’s a one size fits all institution, that doesn’t suit or benefit all children.
Silly amounts of children aren’t getting the best out of their learning and there’s no resources to do anything about it. Parents are expected to pick up the flack for this, whilst running a home and holding down a job. Who reteaches a suspended child?

What about when covid hit? Kids had lots of time off? Whose retaught the kids what they have missed? Who cared then?? Does this fall on the parent? Who can they fine?

Teachers are moving very quickly from subject to subject, topic to topic, and teachers are unable to go back and teach a child everything until they understand. Not because they necessarily don’t want to, but because they’re too busy having to carry out tedious tasks, and hitting unnecessary targets. I don’t want to get too political, however, this is already effecting the childs education. What’s a weeks holiday?

Lets not pretend that all of the things kids are being taught…kids need to be taught.

Maybe, we should stop trying to fit kids into boxes. And rather than telling them what they have to become, let them experience life and decide for themselves what it is that they like as an individual. Give them space to figure out and explore what their interests are? What their passions are? This falls on the parent, right?

I’m not suggesting kids should have weeks and weeks off, but a holiday a year…. Pfft! That’s nothing to jump up and down about.

Please don’t be careless enough to allow your time teaching to condition you into missing what’s important.

So because the system isn't perfect, it's OK to disadvantage your children?

Honestly, you sound like a fanatic. Why aren't you homeschooling if it's that bad?

The way you talk about the school 'running to the LA' makes you sound like a naughty schoolchild yourself and I'm almost certain that you'll be passing this entitled mentality onto your child.

Can you point out where in my message I suggest disadvantaging children?

You sound like you’re unable to comprehend the information you read.

I can’t remember what OP said about running to the LA.
However, if you think expecting to take your child on holiday without being fined is entitled, then you need to put your head in the oven.

I am laughing at the people who actually believes these fines are in place for the sake of the children….

I can only imagine this is because you’re very uneducated on the topic - don’t waste time commenting on here about things you don’t know about. Research it! I guarantee it’ll open your eyes.

AIBU to be a bit pissed off the school ran straight to LA to rat on us?

This is real life, not The Wire or The Sopranos.

Well, that was embarrassing!

Is the wire or sopranos about taking your child on holiday during term time? The school system? Fining parents?

No? Then you make no sense. Your wondering aimlessly in the dark, commenting on the wrong thread.

Turn your tv off and read something that can teach you a thing or two.

@Rivtry2
I'm sorry for sounding patronising and hope that this post will sound less so.
I totally agree with much of what you wrote. However, teachers are also very often parents, facing much the same problems as most other working parents. Like everyone else during Covid, they were trying to work (teaching your children) while also teaching their own children. Going back into the classroom they are now teaching children who all experienced different levels of teaching by their parents during Covid and are all now at different levels. They are also dealing with the results of isolation and the consequential mental health problems their class and their own children are facing. Resources are tight (heard the other day of a teacher being told by the headmaster that it's her responsibility to provide some of the books needed by the class - she'll have to buy them). I also agree that some of the things taught at primary level are not essential, but if it's in the National Curriculum, it has to be taught. However, I still disagree with you re term time holiday. If I take my child out of school for a week, he / she will have missed 25 hours of schooling. That has to be made up somehow. Parents usually expect the teacher to do this - an extra workload on top of an already heavy one. If there are 30 children in a class and they all have a different week off during a year that's 750 extra hours work for the teacher. Can we at least agree that's unfair? It's way cheaper to go on holiday during term time - but teachers can't take their family in term time either. Sometimes children miss school because they are excluded / ill / family bereavement etc, but surely it's not right to add to a teacher's workload when it's not absolutely necessary?

Assuming it was for a holiday YABU. I totally get why some families do this,as for many it's the difference between having a holiday or not but if you do then you need to expect the fine, which is cheaper than paying the premium to go away during the school holidays.

The irony is there's always a public uproar when a child slips through the net and comes to a tragic end and nobody questions why they hadn't been at school for days. You can't win

This post has some very valid and reasonable points.

I just want to make it very clear that I do not think teachers are treated fairly. I think they do all they can (a good teacher anyway), and have to pick up a lot of flack. The education system is flawed and that’s a lot bigger than teachers and schools.
So I do not in anyway blame the teachers, they’re not handing out fines and do not have a day in the matter.

Lots of things in primary and secondary doesn’t have to be taught, from a parents/child’s perspective. From a teachers perspective, yes, you have to teach it and the school has to look like it’s meeting targets and performance criteria’s. I completely understand that puts pressure on teachers.

Unfortunately that’s the nature of the beast.

Now let’s be fair, teachers aren’t trained to deal with mental health. 1:1 support is a fight to obtain and very often not given. So many parents are crying out for help and aren’t being given it. Children are often isolated and suspended as a form of damage control. Again, I’m not blaming teachers but this is incredibly distressing for families.

During covid - the only children attending school were those whose parents worked in the public sector. Everyone else fell by the waste side and I can assure you - those children aren’t being retaught what they’ve missed. Again, not blaming teachers but this is the reality.

If I took my child on holiday then I would not expect anyone to make up for what they have missed. The accountability falls on the parent and that’s that. The child’s will be learning both academically, culturally and covering PSHE whilst away on holiday and that’s very valuable.
I understand the drawbacks of this on a teacher but unless the system changes nothing can be done about it, and that’s not the parents responsibility.

Life is short, tomorrow isn’t promised. Nothing compares to lived experiences, fun, laughter and family. The thought of schools/LO’s punishing parents for doing this during term when it’s more affordable is desperately sad, especially in times of financially hardship.

Can you elaborate on how these fines have saved children's lives or stopped them falling through the net?

How many cases do you know where this is the case. Do you understand why children are falling through the net?

Now have you considered who the money really benefits? Have you seen what’s happening in the world right now.

sheeesh! All these people claiming school is more valuable than a weeks holiday… it hasn’t done much for you has it? You can’t see the wood through the trees.

Have a think about what you’re saying and what proof you have of its efficacy.

When will some people realise that not all parents can take Annual Leave in school holidays,

When will some people realise that teachers cannot take advantage of cheaper term time holidays and manage their holidays accordingly.

Wowza! That’s a very entitled comment.

The majority of NHS staff work 12 hour shifts.
Do you stay late because of it?

Lots of people work night shifts - do you adjust your sleep pattern accordingly?

what other jobs permit half term holidays and 6 weeks off (give or take)
Could a doctor have that time off?

So should we all go into work tomorrow and say, sorry boss but I’m term time only now cause i’ve decided it’s not fair that teachers are able to do it. And adjust our holidays accordingly?

I just don’t think life works like that somehow! Do you realise that?

I don't take my kids out of school for holidays, but I'm concerned I'm not giving sufficient consideration to what teachers can do when I manage my holidays. Can you explain the causal nexus?

Thank god I stay in Scotland where they do not enforce fines except for exceptional circumstances. They try to work woth the parents to get the child into school instead of being so heavy handed