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?

I think any fines are ridiculous and it should just be down to the headteacher's discretion, as it used to be. If they think kids are being kept at home/missing from school for no good reason (like they are being sent out of the country/married off or abused at home, or homelife is too chaotic for kids to be able to attend school regularly) then that's a matter for safeguarding/social services etc.

I've even read about parents being threatened with fines/kids penalised - not allowed to attend prom when they've had a medical condition that requires lots of appointments/time off school. Or they don't allow a kid to come to prom when they have made such an effort to come to school after suffering school-based anxiety. Some schools are utterly disgusting and seem to be getting more draconian and less human. The Schools Bill will make all this even worse.

In Finland kids spend far less time in school than kids do here but get better results. We need to have a total rethink of secondary education (at least) as it is failing such a large number of children and is getting worse.

Can't argue with that.

See my above post!

Dear me - catastrophising or what?!

There is more to education than school.

Actually you won't get fined until they are in year one as reception is considered non compulsory education!

We got a fine for taking dc to an annual sporting event in which dh competes.. Fined £70

That's ridiculous. DDs have had the odd bit of time off for sports competitions and the school has put "educated off site" or "approved sporting activity" or "other authorised circumstances" in the register. There are literally codes for that.

The fines are just massively over used now. They were introduced to prevent children whose parents would just not take them to school some days because they wouldn't be bothered, persistent truanting behaviour, poor parenting etc and have just escalated so that those they were introduced to help are not the ones targeted.

I'd have appealed that. Especially as you presumably didn't need more than a week out of school (or was it overseas?)

I do get a bit annoyed over all the moaning about this. You get 13 weeks a year to go on holiday if your child attends a state school. If you work in the military etc or otherwise can't get leave at any point in those 13 weeks, the head can authorise absence and should do.

It's now being standardised accross the country so there isna postcode lottery.

I didn't and still don't agree with the current fining system, I think persistent absence should be dealt with as it was prior to the introduction of these fines. However, the system is what it is - the school did nothing unusual IMO.

I think you just have to factor the fine into the cost of holidays if you want to go in term time.

I don't agree with fines. However, the school probably have no discretion.

Check if there is an appeal process and if so, use it. You do not say what the time off was for, and don't have to, but my view is that it is unreasonable to miss school just because the holiday is cheaper.

But that is if they are competing not when a parent is competing. That will be the difference from a school POV

You chose to let the state educate your child, so you have to follow the conditions they set.

One of those is about when your child attends & when they don't.

The school have to report attendance and non sttendance to the LEA all the time. My child has been refusing to go to school and making suicide attempts. I still get fined, of course you get fined for some holiday where there are 12+ other weeks you could have fit in your jolly.

Don't be so ridiculous. They were off for a good year with COVID but seemingly that's absolutely fine whilst 8 days will "deny them an education"

The lost school time because of Covid makes attendance now all the more important. They've got a lot of catching up to do.

You should not be getting fined for this, have you challenged this legally?

I don't agree with this, we can't impose stricter sanctions due to the issues of COVID, it won't help the kids and will drive even greater MH issues.

If the new Schools Bill is passed schools won't have any say in whether they can allow absence and fines will be mandatory.

I’m really glad I live abroad and don’t have to worry about this.

How much was the fine?

Yep, that’s the rules unfortunately, school day is two sessions, so a week is 10 sessions. Your holiday would have been loads cheaper than travelling in the summer hols, even taking into account the fine. Schools used to be able to exercise a degree of discretion but not anymore.

What do you expect?
Teaching your kid that education is not important is ridiculous

The OP did not teach her child this, you have invented this. The Op explained her child is high achieving in terms of education.

This is only going to get worse. Schools Bill will give Cental Govt even more power to fine. I have SEND kids who struggle with timekeeping and attendance due to sleep and anxiety issues due to neurodiversity. . I have done everything I can to sort but under current rules we get an unauthorised half day absent mark if DD is more thsn 10 minutes late. Thank God school is understanding snd we haven't veen fined as under new rules we would probably be in court by now as only 10 lates triggers the max two fixed penalty notices . Than Court.

Exactly @CloseEncountersOfTheTurdKind . Scary times for families who have kids dealing with SEND. Poor Mental Health and bullying.

What makes you think you're any different, and so shouldn't get a fine? 8 days is a lot. It's a risk you took, taking them out of school for a holiday. Rules are rules. Whether your LA has provided education for one of your children or not doesn't actually make it into this argument. Two wrongs don't make a right, and all that.

Schools have to report absences. They also get it in the neck if their overall attendance is poor, and asked to show what they're doing to get people into school.

I'd love to take a term time holiday to have it significantly cheaper for my family, rather than paying 2-3 times more, but as a teacher I'm simply not allowed.

Oh ffs get a grip!