Kids missed 3wks school, council taking me to court!

[Questionairballoon]

Hi all,

I am very unsure about what to do.

DC aged 6 and 8. I took them on holiday this summer. missed the last 3 weeks of school (July 2025).

For context, their attendance is always good. Only time they ever miss school is when poorly. They enjoy going. Last time we took them on holiday they were 3 and 5 and they missed maybe 2 weeks of nursery/school.

Before we left this time, I emailed the head teacher and spoke with the staff partly to apologise and also to find out what they might miss for the last 3 weeks so I could cover with them if needed. For what it’s worth, both kids do well in school. Teachers wished us happy hols and we left on a positive note.

The holiday was 2 weeks in Europe and 2 weeks in America. They had some fantastic experiences and got to meet relatives who live abroad. We were back in August, they had almost a month to recoup and then back to school business as usual!

We expected a fine but got nothing. This week, I’ve received a court order telling me to expect paperwork where I’ll be “pleading guilty or not guilty”.

I’m gobsmacked tbh. Has anyone been in this situation? Any advice at all? I don’t even know what to say!

You may not have been fined but you have done it twice in three years so its not a one off and its not an odd day or week. Did you TELL the school rather than asking which would explain the teachers response? Or did you just assume it was fine, because its your choice when to take them and you have to consider all the potential ramifications. Doesn't sound like you have a leg to stand on, I am afraid.

3 weeks is absolutely ridiculous. You deserve the fine OP. If you can afford to spend 4 weeks holidaying in both Europe and the US then you can most definitely afford to take holidays outside of term time. There is no excuse for this.

You fucked around, now you’re finding out

I think a week is fine. I take DD out for a week

buy three weeks at the end of term when you’ve got six weeks that they could go in is taking the piss

I de- registered my kid and had a letter from the local authority instructing me to join a call to explain to them how she was going to get an education going forwards. So they do check it ( and so they should)

@Questionairballoonyou were literally ridiculous to take them out for 3 whole weeks. I think you know that really.

@Questionairballoon, you've said you're being prosecuted for the three weeks you went on holiday, but what has their attendance like been the rest of the school year? Because if they've had a few sick days here and there too, that could add up to nearly a month off school each. Add in the two weeks taken previously – which you were presumably fined for? – and it does suggest a habitual parental disregard for the rules. Everyone else has to abide by them, why shouldn't you?

I also find it baffling an ex-teacher wouldn't be aware that they could end up with a criminal record over unauthorised absence and thinks the last three weeks of the term is spent pissing about. My DP teaches your eldest's year group in primary and he's teaching the curriculum up until the final week and between lessons they're putting on the end of school productions/having sports day etc, which are considered by the DfE as important parts of learning. It's usually only the last two days they have parties and games and are allowed to bring toys in.

My friend is a magistrate, and they’ve heard school absence cases before.

Magistrates are just people. They have a legal advisor, but my friend says it’s luck how much attention the other two magistrates will pay to the advisor.

It’s three people that you need to explain yourself to. Just like three strangers in the street. I guess explain why you did it, that you absolutely won’t be doing it again (will you??) and fingers crossed they’re feeling sensible and just issue a fine.

I totally agree with you. The PPs posting 'Ah well, they don't do much in the last 3 weeks before the summer holidays' blow my mind - I wonder if they'd say that to the faces of the teachers who teach their kids? It's so disrespectful. And if kids in primary/junior school really don't do anything in the last 3 weeks of the summer term, why don't they just make their summer holidays even longer, starting towards the end of June instead of July? (Cue the screams from working parents - and rightly so.)
When you think of the huge numbers of children around the world who have no access to formal education, it's sad that some parents take ours for granted.

Having been a teacher you can't deny any knowledge of the process and that will go against you at court and you can't plead ignorance. Having been a teacher, if they let you get away with it they would be idiots. I think this will turn out to be a very expensive holiday.

As a teacher why didn't you ask the Head for the approval. The fact you were/are a teacher makes it worse for me. You know or should know what procedures are. It is not down to the class teacher and unfair you apportion any blame in their direction. You worked in a school, you know the Head makes the decision. You did not get permission. This from a teacher. If someone who was a traffic cop broke speed limit I would expect they would be dealt with knowing that as a professional they have acted with utter disregard.
Your continual statements just sound so lacking in ability to take responsibility. You've had good advice. Please take it.

I guess you'll just have to say all that.

You will still get the fine I expect.

I'm not the OP! I think you copied in my reply to her.

They have not had time off for illness for at least a year, the last time they had it off was for chicken pox. It’s not a regular thing.

”weeks on end, twice” - the first time was when my eldest was in nursery lol there was no fine, nursery absence is different.

Three weeks out is half a term. Think that's really unreasonable. Unfair on the teachers and also everyone else has to make sure their kids are in school. Sure it's cheaper than paying to go in the summer holidays but is something most of us have to grin and bear - otherwise there would be no kids in classes!!

I really don't think you have shown much common sense about any of this. Particularly as a teacher.

You have overseas relatives and don't have the means to visit in school holidays.

You need a different school. Find one that's more diverse and used to this request. I've never had a year in my school without a kid/family being given multiple weeks/a month to visit relatives; I've got one off shortly for exactly this reason. They're just not allowed in back to back years... We choose to support rather than fine, because quite a few families would choose 6 weeks in the nick over a fine and we know the damage of parental imprisonment. Good luck with the court date!

3 weeks is not half a term. It is half of a half term.

So you did know you would get fined and just didn't expect it to go straight to court? Then you are whinging about having to split the holidays so they miss some every year.....you clearly aren't learning the lesson....its your kids education and as an exception you maybe granted permission to do it once in exceptional circumstances but not regularly and this is your thought process as an ex teacher?

Yeah, me too. 3 weeks is taking the piss

You seem to have informed the school that you were going. You didn’t consult with them as you made your plans so they were presented with a done deal. Anything they said would have made no difference at that point.

Thanks love! Glad it brings you joy. X

I don't know because resorts pump their prices up on set weeks. If you look at Centre Parks during half term week compared to the following week, the difference is sometimes by thousands. If holidays were more scattered and unpredictable it might be more difficult for holiday companies. That was my line of thinking anyway.

Absolutely love your username by the way, being made there myself 😅

The attendance system in England is draconian and belongs back in the Middle Ages.

Definitely plead not guilty and point out to the court that you were giving them a practical educational experience by sampling other cultures. Also, do they really want to waste court time on something so insignificant?

If you took them out to ‘home school’ them, no-one would bother checking whether they’re being taught anything at all and they could spend all day in bed or playing computer games and nothing would be done by the authorities to ensure they’re getting a basic education.

It’s a complete farce. 😠

And the class teacher said to be mindful and she choose not to be. Then insinuates they made it seem ok.
Honestly in black and white would be thinking empathy here without context but the context is not good. Entitled, had more insight than the average person but doesn't think it should apply. Noone wants to see OP receive custodial sentence but do you deserve a fine - which is ring fenced for supporting attendance and education. Yes you should.

Realistic.