To invoke the ‘otherwise’ option for school absence?

[KuanKaKu]

AIBU to send this letter in and request temporary de-registration?
WWYD if you are a Headteacher and received this?
Dear Headteacher,
I am writing to inform you that for the period xxx 2026 to xxx 2026 inclusive, my children, [Child’s Name(s)], will be receiving their education otherwise than at school, in accordance with Section 7 of the Education Act 1996, which places the legal duty for securing a suitable education on me as the parent.
Section 7 states that:
“The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable to his age, ability and aptitude, and to any special educational needs he may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.”
During this period I will be exercising the “otherwise” option. As such, my children will not be attending school between these dates. You may therefore treat them as temporarily deregistered for this period, as their education is being lawfully provided by me.
This is not a permanent withdrawal. My intention is for them to return to school-based provision on xxx 2026.
For clarity:
Parents are the duty-holders under Education Act 1996 s.7 with the right to elect for education “otherwise”.
Elective Home Education does not require the school’s permission (DfE Elective Home Education Guidance, 2019).
Temporary periods of home education are legally valid where the parent is providing suitable education under s.7.
Compulsory school attendance requirements under s.444 apply only where the parent is relying on school attendance to discharge the s.7 duty, which is not the case during this period.
Please confirm receipt of this notification for your records.

Whatever your stance on term time holidays and all the rest of your keyboard warrior-ing, the impact of your approach is to have education specialists (who DON’T set these policies) tied up in admin rather than actually educating children and young people.

For that reason you are a massive time waster negatively impacting children’s outcomes and think you are oh so clever to find a legal loophole.

A better alternative would be to get fined, refuse to pay and have your ‘day in court’ where you can argue your (nonsense) legal case.

You are entirely at liberty to deregister your children.

The school have no obligation to keep their places open for you and indeed they legally cannot hold the places open if there are other childen in that year group who are seeking a shool place. If they receive an application after your children are deregistered they must give the places to those applicants. When you want to re-register you will need to apply and you may or may not be successful. You will remain responsible for your children's education until they are aboe to restart school - you may be offered places at the worst most unpopular school in your area if that's all that has places.

Of all the things I worry about in modern society, children missing out on a term time holiday to New Zealand has never made the list.

Anyone who can afford a flight to New Zealand can afford to budget for the fines. Of course there will be the odd occasion where children miss school - family weddings, funerals, illness, etc etc. But any sort of mass education system cannot work if children are just randomly off for weeks at a time. It’s barely functioning without this disruption.

If you want to do things in a way that means your children miss parts of their education, that's your decision. I Just hope that you don't expect already over worked teaching staff to fill in the gaps they will miss, that's in you.

The education system is set up as the most efficient way to teach large groups. It isn't perfect but it is what it is.

Yes and that article was a good summation of the issue and why the policy exists

the fine comes into play for 5 days/10 sessions in a rolling 10 week period. You can have the odd duvet day, you can have a long weekend away etc all of those can be done - any more than that it is an issue.

that bit I don’t have an issue with

I am not allowed to call someone a C - L - O - W - N on here apparently.

No, that post was obviously always going to get scrubbed. I did laugh, though.

I feel like I've heard it all now, maybe pay for private education if you don't want the fine. People are so entitled nowadays, it makes me so sad.

The difficulty have is that you are conflating EOTAS and EHE. One is for children who, for genuine reasons , cannot attend mainstream or specialist provision , have an EHCP and are funded by the local authority to receive education through a variety of means, we have used equine therapy, school farms etc. The other is withdrawal of children from education by parents to educate at home. Unless you can persuade the local authority to fund your holiday to New Zealand, you are on a sticky wicket!

It's pretty hard for me to understand that with so many issues of injustice and inequality in the world, the cudgel you're willing to take up (not to mention the time and headspace you're requiring from overworked school staff) is the cause of the middle class being able to take their children on term time holidays with no possible repercussions.

So many solutions you're choosing not to take:

Take your children to New Zealand in a longer holiday period.

Take your children to New Zealand during term time and pay the fine.

Take your children to New Zealand and refuse to pay the fine, as @Duckishness suggested, and have your day in court.

Put your children in private school or embark on some version of home education.

This!!

OP is brave behind AI written emails and nonsensical legal arguments.

They don’t have the balls to take the decision, take the fine and argue the case.

Honestly I have more respect for parents who own their decision and just take a term time holiday.

Embarrassing..