Penalty Notice South Staffs Council

[Fahrie2008]

Hi,

We took our daughter out of school for a day in May, I was honest with the school and said we were having a family day. They said it Walpole be unauthorised.

My partner & I have received a letter today stating we are being fined £60 each.

Our decision is not to pay it, we know the possible consequences just wondering if anyone has been prosecuted and fined for 1 day unauthorised?

Pretty poor lesson for your daughter and, ignore the rules and sod the consequences.

(Random "and" added there.)

Its not being prosecuted for one day. You'll be prosecuted for failing to educate and ensure attendance as set out in the act. It will depend on your child's absence and attendance rates as an overall picture.

Pay up. You already know Councils are tough on this.

Not paying before the deadline will result in the fine doubling. If you still don't pay you will almost certainly be prosecuted, facing a possible £2,500 fine and/or 3 months imprisonment. In the most recent year for which I have statistics, 20,000 parents were prosecuted - over 100 per school day. In general, the only way to avoid prosecution is if the penalty notice is withdrawn, e.g. because it has been issued contrary to the local authority's code of conduct.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-43254495

Why on earth would you not pay it? You took her out, you were in the wrong. It will not go away. You are not going to win this. Unless you want to pay thousands or go to prison then pay the £120 and be done with it.

prh 20,000 prosecuted ? Not just fined? Wow.

Have a bloody family day at the weekend or school holidays. You know this isn't acceptable and you maybe fined.

Ignore the criticism OP. Just pay the fine and do not escalate the matter into greater financial penalties. The attendance fascists have the upper hand for now after some high profile court cases and there really is no other route if you cannot persuade the head to log it some other way.

I held my school 6th form non-attendance record by some way. All that time taken away helped me extend my study leave and focus on getting the grades I needed for a tough Cambridge entrance offer. My mum wrote increasingly creative sick notes so I could study in peace!

The whole scene is a total disgrace. What started off as a well-intentioned attempt to control truancy is now a ghastly state-sponsored intrusion into families controlling their own lives. We took our son out of senior school for one day just before the end of term so he could attend his sister's last prize-giving at her own school. I'm perfectly comfortable with that decision.