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!

Exactly. We all like cheap holidays and you got 3 weeks of them. This is the consequence of accepting a free state education and then bunking off a good % of the year.

Because your parents made the right choices.

And me! Lessons need to be learnt.

Depressing that was your insight
and thankful has no resemblance to my experience

It isn't just about what kids are being taught in school it is also about what you are teaching your kids by taking them out of school for three weeks for holidays.

1. That education is dispensable
2. That the rules don't apply to you if they inexpensive or inconvenient
3. That it is okay for teachers to be inconvenienced (it is hard enough to have to teach children of varying abilities, but to also do that for children who have missed big chunks of school is not ok).

3 weeks illness would need proper medical evidence and then would become unauthorised because let’s face it it was clear it was a holiday

I say on all of these threads look at council policy becuase some do go straight to prosecution and are perfectly within the rights to do so

I imagine it could be a hefty fine but get legal advice

Firstly, I haven’t had this situation exactly. But I wonder if our recent experience with the traffic police could be helpful. Hubby was caught speeding in Yorkshire (we live in Berkshire), 45-46 in a 40 zone. Police allegedly sent correspondence about it which we didn’t get. (He didn’t even realise). A fee months later he’s getting a very scary form - plead guilty or not guilty for speeding AND not resonding. He called police and apparently they are used to people genuinely not getting letters, they said - send this, this and this and the failure to respond should be dropped. Can you call the council’s school department (all remorseful) and explain? Perhaps there can be flexibility. Explain that you’ve spoken to the teachers, they said it’s just handover, films and colouring.

Secondly, I’ve read somewhere that one mum resorted to taking kiddoes off to homeschool for a term, takes an extended holiday and then goes back on the school roll, but it only works if the school does not have a waiting list. (And also if you have time to homeschool for a term).

Only the last 3 weeks 🤦‍♀️ in actually fact you took them out for half of term 6! Clearly you don’t value education!

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.
These amounts are per child and per parent. Courts can issue further penalties of up to £2,500.

so the option is miss 2 weeks one year and 2 weeks the next year… or 3 weeks in one go for one year only?

I mean neither options are ideal but if they’ve missed 2 weeks of school anyway, why would I not just get it over and done with once and for all rather than two consecutive years?

Get a solicitor and ask their advice, but I'd imagine it would be to plead guilty, apologise, say you didn't realise the ramifications and won't do it again and hope the punishment is lenient.

Was about to edit to say… two of friends are teachers and some family members. In no way do I think the teachers are doing nothing, absolutely not the case at all, but in my experience there is a massive wind down in the last 2/3 weeks prior to the summer holidays for pupils.

No need for swearing in posts.
I think people are feeling agreaved because you should know the rules especially as you have taught. It's not a teachers job to sanction your holiday.
Executive heads etc deal with the LA not individual teachers. Also some may not have a problem with it personally but professionally everyone will. After all they have to go out of term too.
This isn't about teachers or school, it is about a local authority that had made a decision based on what they know that this should be sanctioned. You state funds but what about children in care do you think they can afford trips to Disneyland with their careers. Guess what they are not allowed. So staying you only shop at Asda and trying to say it's ok for you and people who disagree must be rich is really not getting anyone on side. I think people have given genuine advice. If you carry on with this attitude you will not come across well. Your anxious and that is not nice but goading others - you asked for people's thoughts and people are trying to help you understand the implications.
It's easy to get defensive but sometimes getting over pride and accepting a situation and asking if anyone has experienced and recognising you have made a misguided decision.
As pointed out earlier surely the money saved will help with a fine. If you didn't expect or plan you may need to do so is a bit wild.
I cannot see any benefit to prison that's wild and very excessive. A magistrate won't want to punish your children. But they will expect you pay punishment so just accept it and move forward. You've seen relatives had a 3 week holiday and been able to do something memorable. But accept that came with a legal responsibility.
Hope you get sorted move forward and just realise you definitely can't do that again.

No the sensible option is to do two weeks in the summer only and yes it will be more expensive but no one needs a 4 week long trip and no one is buying the excuse that the purpose of the trip was just to see your family.

You’re going to be the talk of the school Op (if not already for other reasons)

They actually wind down from May onwards I.e. as soon as the end of year reports are written.

Good luck, OP. I have no experience with this and cannot advise but hopefully it will just be a fine.

The school always finds out. We had a senior pupil who disappeared for a fortnight. She was off for a grandmother's funeral. In Colorado.

Translation: she was on a skiing holiday. (She had all the other seniors told about it.) The family got off with it because parents aren't fined in Scotland.

The disruption to the girl's education was significant.

I don't condone it but if i was you, I'd look at the policy for reasonable circumstances for absence (like religious or cultural events) and see if any of your trip met those circumstances and lean in to them.

I'd heavily play up the educational and family aspects, perhaps throw in hiw covid restrictions impacted family relationships, demonstrate learning you did during the absence and put on a remorseful sad face.

No, the option is you do what you can afford during the school holidays. 10 days in America this year, 10 days in Europe in a couple of years time.

🤷🏽‍♀️ let’s stop normalising term time holidays

All governments have some say in what parents do with their kids these days- we don't allow parents to kill their kids or abuse them (though can be poor picking this up).

It was New Labour in their Education Education zeal who went down the kids have to be in school or parents get fined - prior to that they could be out 10 days I think. I wasn't in favour but it's been this way a long while - so OP not knowing is just bloody odd.

It's seen as a kids right to edcuation and come from treating correlation as causiation with attendance and exam outcomes - and it's been a huge issue since covid in media with government announcements about it.

OP still has option of home schooling - I think in other countries this isn't an option (think Germany?) at all. She could have de registered the kids and risk losing their school palces to avoid fines - done less time or gone in hoildays basically she had other options.

What are kiddoes?

Yes why should a teacher who has 30 pupils to look after play three weeks catch up with one pupil?

And in Wales! England is bonkers. This thread is bonkers frankly, all of this glee that a mum is getting some sort of punishment for taking her kids out of school for a few weeks.

I can almost guarantee that these kids are not the ones neglected, in need of services and support, or suffering ACES.

@Questionairballoon you are low hanging fruit and an easy way for your council to be seen to be proactive and making a difference

Re: winding down.

In many Scottish LAs, children actually move up a year in May - certainly in the secondary sector.