Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Court - term time holiday :)

69 replies

MandsJH · 18/12/2014 21:17

I've got 2 boys. One in y5 and one in yr2

Eldest has had unauthorised absence for a week in oct 2010, feb 2012 and oct 2014.

Youngest 1 week in oct 2014.

Just got a letter saying they won't issue a penalty for oct 2014 as fines are a deterrent and we've had 2 previous penalties so it's going before the court.

Anybody else had this? What happens? Big fine? Surely not prison?!

Bad news as we have another week off school planned oct 2015 with £300 deposit paid.

And before you all think I'm not concerned for my boys education, that's not true.

They are both top of their class with perfect attendance other than these holidays. Plus they are never late, never disrupt the class.

OP posts:

WhoKnowsWhereTheMistletoes · 18/12/2014 22:31

I also thought you would only get taken to court if you failed to pay the penalties. I don't actually agree with term time holidays unless it is absolutely impossible otherwise but this does seem harsh.

meditrina · 18/12/2014 22:33

The current regime of fixed penalty notices was introduced by Labour in the 2003 Anti-social Behaviour Act, and could be applied to any unauthorised absence.

Original poster

MandsJH · 18/12/2014 22:37

Yep we got fined 2010 and 2012. Our school has had zero tollerance to term time holidays forever so nothing ever got approved.

OP posts:

pieceofpurplesky · 18/12/2014 23:01

Fines for similar offences have been around £1000 - the rules state you can't take your children out if school for a holiday and previous fines have not worked so it becomes stage 3.

Finola1step · 18/12/2014 23:05

Well you know the school's position and have continued to book holidays in term time. Hence the penalties have proved to be ineffective resulting in further action (court).

I sympathise with the cost of holiday issue, I really do. But I think you will have to suck this up. And be prepared that if you take the next holiday in term time, as planned, you're actually ending up with some very, very expensive holidays.

fairyfuckwings · 18/12/2014 23:14

What a ridiculous waste of court time! I thought the same as you - you just had to pay a fine. Friends of ours take their kids out for a couple if weeks unauthorised every couple of years so that they can visit family in Australia. They tag it onto the Christmas break and go for a month. It's so far, and so expensive that 2 weeks just wouldn't be long enough.

Hedgehogsbuzz1 · 18/12/2014 23:15

It's so silly you are being taken to court. You've great attendance and only 3 weeks (in 5 years) break for family occasions. It's so pedantic. Courts and fines should be directed at families with very low attendance.

Hedgehogsbuzz1 · 18/12/2014 23:19

Education and life balance is wider and deeper then school

pieceofpurplesky · 18/12/2014 23:23

It's the law whether you agree with it or not. You make the decision based in that

Hedgehogsbuzz1 · 18/12/2014 23:24

It's disappointing that the state seeks to dictate so much these days. Children and parents are not the property of the state or schools. There seems so little respect for what knowledgeable parents feel is best for their children.

Heels99 · 18/12/2014 23:28

I have taken my children out of school every year for three years for a week. Never been fined.they have 100% attendance apart from that

Tron123 · 18/12/2014 23:53

As this is now the law I think it should be universally applied - the law makes some exception for certain circumstances and your example does fall into this catogery. Surely there has to be common approach otherwise anyone can pick and choose what they do

Original poster

MandsJH · 19/12/2014 05:34

So is that £1000 each for me and DH? £2000? I have no income at all after being made redundant nearly 3 years ago due to the economic downturn.

OP posts:

vitabrits · 19/12/2014 05:44

Add someone living outside of uk, I think these rules are crazy and I'm amazed that uk citizens have put up with/supported them for so long. You op are obviously doing 'the right' thing by your kids and it's so ridiculous to be penalized for it.

ElizabethHoover · 19/12/2014 06:08

If 1k is the Max then she won't be fined that on the first offence. Plus guilty plea reduction. Plus based on income.
Those saying its stupid - you should see how many parents just waft their kids in and out of school on a whim

ElizabethHoover · 19/12/2014 06:09

Your h will have to pay then as he does for the holidays.

Is this thread a wind up? Great drip feeding

Original poster

MandsJH · 19/12/2014 06:11

I've purposely not gone down the "how ridiculous is this" route on here because once I start I won't shut up! I'm fuming. We are good parents. I battle daily with my kids to ensure they are smart for school (shirts tucked in, ties on, etc) and drive myself mental getting them there on time everyday. I can name 10 people here and now that are late religiously everyday. We support the school - attend every open session, help at events and school trips. We complete every piece of homework on time. Again, I can name 10 other people that don't. My boys work hard and behave well. I've helped in class in a regular basis and I know how much teacher time is diverted away from my kids by disruptive behaviour. My boy in year 2 is above expectation in everything yet for the last 8 weeks of year 1 he had no consistent teacher due to somebody leaving and was not stretched or challenged in any way. This year the teacher who is supposed to be supporting his just qualified teacher has been off with stress pretty much since school began so again he is not getting the challenge he needs. My yr 5 boy whizzes through his work and is sent to the computer lab to kill time on a pointless task whilst everybody catches up. I could go on. In short there is no way either of my kids are getting what they deserve out of the education system by some margin. We live in a rural area and it is a "nice" school but we don't have the luxury of better options on our doorstep. If both were being stretched and challenged so that every minute of every school day really did matter I wouldn't take them out of school. In reality, last week of term (the only time I've taken them out) they do pretty much nothing of any note (one day playing games, one day watching DVDs,).

And my final rant. The week we got back from holiday after oct half term school was closed with no notice for 3 days because the heating was condemned. No alternate arrangements. Just closed. Carnage for parents that work. The following week teacher training day went ahead as planned.

OP posts:

MirandaWest · 19/12/2014 06:16

Whether or not you feel that the current system is wrong, it is the case that if you take your children out of school unauthorised that you risk being fined.

I presume that if you have been going on holiday in the last three years and were planning another holiday that between you and your husband you have enough money to pay the increased fine.

Also why is primary school less important than secindary school? It could be the first time a certain concept is taught and the child might never quite get it after that.

I'm sure someone will say that the child could be off through illness but going on holiday is something you choose to do so you have the choice to do it or not whereas with illness you don't.

MirandaWest · 19/12/2014 06:18

It's not a tit for tat system though. If you have issues with the education your children are receiving that doesn't entitle you to take them out of school and not face the consequence.

Original poster

MandsJH · 19/12/2014 06:22

No you're right it's not tit for tat.

OP posts:

YonicSleighdriver · 19/12/2014 06:27

There's a topic called School Holidays? I never knew that.

I'm very surprised at these facts.

Sausages123 · 19/12/2014 06:28

If you don't like the school, disagree with the rules they make then either move them or home school

Original poster

MandsJH · 19/12/2014 06:34

No we don't have the money for increased fines. The normal penalty was do-able. And even accounting for that it still meant we could have a holiday we otherwise wouldn't afford in school holidays. As I said. The next one will now be cancelled.

I'll add there are many people at our school that take term time holidays every year. Most have been more canny than me though and have avoided the fine by just booking 4.5 days and/or calling in sick so go under the radar.

And no, we do not just waft our kids in and out of school on a whim. Funny that the person who's commented on this thread the most and thinks it's a wind up keeps coming back for more

OP posts:

Hedgehogsbuzz1 · 19/12/2014 06:39

Sausage - or challenge the system! But in fact this rule is a new one and didn't exist before 2013 - it's not what OP signed up for when her kids started school.

We all have different opinions and the the school/state take on things is just another opinion formed by a small group of people. All state opinions should be held up to question and reflection like any rule.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 19/12/2014 06:52

They have to have the court system ot people will just keep doing it and see the charges as a worthwhile penalty for getting a cheap holiday.

Not got enormous amount of sympathy, sorry.

Flip

1 2 3