Will I be fined for kids missing school?

[NameChangedJune]

under the new national framework, all schools will be required to consider a fine when a child has missed 10 or more sessions (5 days) for unauthorised reasons

Does anyone know what period this 5 days is calculated over? Per year, term? Or is there no cutoff?

I am taking kids on a holiday for Autumn half term (long distance travel to see relatives and celebrate Diwali in India) which will mean missing 3 days.

I will also take them out for two days in March as I misread the term dates and have booked a holiday before the Easter hol starts. Will I be fined for this, and it will count towards the ‘two fines then prosecute’ new rules?

Here from gov website:
How much could I be fined if my child misses school?
In the majority of cases, schools and local authorities will try and provide support to help you improve your child’s attendance first, but if this isn’t effective or the absence is for unauthorised term time holiday, parents may face paying a fine.
Currently, it’s the responsibility of the local authority to decide when to issue fines to parents, meaning the process varies from council to council.
However, under the new national framework, all schools will be required to consider a fine when a child has missed 10 or more sessions (5 days) for unauthorised reasons.
From August 2024, the fine for school absences across the country will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days. (N.b this is £80 per parent)
This rate is in line with inflation and is the first increase since 2012.
In the case of repeated fines, if a parent receives a second fine for the same child within any three-year period, this will be charged at the higher rate of £160.
Fines per parent will be capped to two fines within any three-year period. Once this limit has been reached, other action like a parenting order or prosecution will be considered.
If you’re prosecuted and attend court because your child hasn’t been attending school, you could get a fine of up to £2,500.
Money raised via fines is only used by the local authority to cover the costs of administering the system, and to fund attendance support. Any extra money is returned to the government.

The above is for England and Wales.

No. The 10 weeks is incorrect in England and Wales.

So if paid within 21 days it’s £160 rather than £80 as it’s per parent?

My DS is 13 and is exactly like your DD. How do you get an adult sized child to physically go to school when they’re refusing? And they’re not refusing because they’re being naughty.
This last term has been awful. He was missing school 1-2 days most weeks. The days when he was in, he was mostly late after I managed to talk him round. I’m honestly shocked I haven’t had a fine yet.

Ah okay, I think some replies have suggested that schools have said within 10 weeks, I wonder if schools have the discretion to implement a periods like this but ours hasn’t stated it as wants flexibility hence the vagueness?!

Same thing 80 x 2 = £160.
It's not very well worded... but that's not unusual for the gov website.
I'd assume if you were widowed it would be £80; but the website doesn't clarify.

@Topaz89 it is so hard because as the parent you feel they should just do as you ask, so I was 😲 when my dd point blank refused. I didn't know what to do so I bargained/ threatened to take things away spoke about her wasting her future, she didn't care at all. We drove my dd to school and even the teachers couldn't convince her.

If I can give you some advice, push it and push it with the school. We finally got help, but, sadly she was already in year 11 so no doubt her GCSES will have been impacted.

I tried for 2 years to get help, I am now paying for a private counsellor and she is due to go to college in September. However I know that won't be plain sailing. It breaks your heart. Good luck and solidarity.

Makes you wonder why everyone 'needs' 2 weeks off for Easter and Christmas.

(Not complaining about Easter since it generally benefits Passover observing Jews.)

I remember a grandparent telling me sadly that her grandchild was unable to spend Rosh Hashana (Jewish New year) with them since it would have meant missing school to travel. A one hour flight but even so.

I feel like schools /government are becoming way to controlling. I think deregistering children is becoming more common than it used to be.

namechangedjune the bit I posted off the gov website comes into effect in August (so a few weeks). Yes the head can, at their discretion, allow an authorised absence. But I'm willing to bet they won't, because that discretion, is really aimed at very exceptional circumstances, not a term time holiday. The head would have to justify why they have used their discretion, and I doubt it would be a satisfactory decision for either the LEA or OFSTED.