Holiday in term time

[Ihaveareallyoldpairofknickers]

My brother is getting married in July, abroad, so will be taking my 3 children out of school for 6 days. I have been refused permission for my oldest child, not heard about the other 2. We will be going anyway but can I say that he was ill and then it is on them to prove he wasn't?

I don't understand why it's ok for the school can take kids away during term time but it's wrong for the parents to?

Don't think so - I think you'll have to prove he was ill to avoid the fine. And if you've already asked and been refused permission it's going to look pretty suspicious.

You understand it isn't the school that decided the law on this?

does anyone know about deregistering their child from the school and then reregistering when they come back from the holiday?

They don't have to prove anything, they can just put you forward for a fine then you can choose to pay it or fight it in court if you can prove they have done so unfairly.

Are any of the school years your children are in full or nearly full? If so there is a huge risk that if you deregister their place will be given to another child so you will have to keep home educating or go to another school.

Under normal circumstances most schools just take a parent's word unless there is reason to suspect they are lying. You've already applied for holiday so they'll assume it is truancy unless you can prove illness with say a doctors note.

Schools didn't decide these policies so there isn't much point blaming them.

Residential trips are for educational purposes.

You have applied for holidays, do you not think school would get a bit suspicious if they were off at the same point?

Deregistering seems a rather dramatic approach which could lead to the loss of the school place.

Deregistering your child is hugely risky - you may find that when you re-apply you are assigned another school elsewhere. Is it worth it?

If you are determined to go just budget for the fine as part of the costs.

"does anyone know about deregistering their child from the school and then reregistering when they come back from the holiday?"

As soon as you de register, the place can be reallocated. Or is the school very undersubscribed?

How old are the DC? Because it strikes me as vanishingly unlikely that all of them will be able to lie to all their friends and teachers all the time about a convincing illness.

Just factor the fine into your overall costs. And of course some LEAs don't find until the 10 day point (if at all). Have you checked the policy for your council?

Be careful about just budgeting for the fine - it's an alternative to prosecution. But they can just prosecute you and the fine would be much bigger.

"But they can just prosecute you and the fine would be much bigger."

Very, very unlikely unless there is other stuff going on.

Very unusual, certainly - I was actually responding to fish and I didn't want OP to assume it was an automatic fine.

The onus is on the parent to provide evidence that the child was ill, if this is your intention.
The school may do some digging - if they suspected a family to be on holiday when they've called in sick they will often try to phone (if abroad will get international dialling tone), and/or do a home visit to see if they're away.

I would just suck up and pay the fine, if you choose to go.

Bear in mind, if is £60 per person per child, so £360 if you are a two parent family.