Fine for 2 days off school for holiday?

[Neweverything25]

Hi, I am looking at the fines for taking term time holidays and I am a bit confused. Does anybody know if you are likely to get fined for 2 days unauthorised absence? And is the fine a flat rate amount or does it increase per day? As I understand it, it is unlikely to be fined for less than 5 days and it sounds like it is a flat rate, but I don't think the information is clear enough. Thanks

It has to be 10 sessions (5 days) of unauthorised absence within a 10 week period to get a fine. And then it's £80 per parent, per child. All this is assuming it's your first offence since the new policy was introduced this academic year.

We had four days off (8 sessions) and didn’t get fined.

They can legally fine from Day 1 of the unauthorised absence however it’s unlikely and the vast majority of areas don’t fine until 10 sessions of absence (5 days).
If they do fine, it’s £80 per child per parent for the whole absence for the first offence. Second offence is £160 pc pp. Third offence is court.

Thanks all, that’s what I thought but recently school have started sending all these emails about fines for unauthorised absence which coincidentally started soon after we requested a 2 day absence for holiday. Objectively I know it is not specifically directed at us as I know lots of families in the school take their children out for a whole week every year but it has worried me slightly.

You cannot guarantee this.

The wording of the relevant regulations means the school must consider a fine with this much absence. It does not prevent them fining for a shorter absence provided the LA's code of conduct allows this. Most LAs would not fine for a single absence of 2 days even before the regulations were changed, but there were some that fined for any absence, even if it was only half a day. I don't know if they have changed their practice.