Unauthorised absence

[Kdebrincat1]

I'm a frustrated mum of 3 we are having a holiday at the start of September this year as my partner works away and is only allocated this time off I have put the holiday for 2 of my children which are in primary school and the head as un authorised them this is only 4 days of school tiMe off and they saying I could be fined 200 pound a day and I haven't even put a holiday form in for my other son as it will only get unauthorised any ideas what I should do mother stressed and annoyed with school, my children have perfect attendance and no days off in 4 years any help will be appreciated

I'm afraid there isn't anything you can do. The law says it's totally at HT's discretion, and fines have been around since 2003. You could have another go at persuading the head, but if they cannot be persuaded, that's the end of the road.

Whether you actually get fined will depend on LA policy; some are stricter than others, but many (most?) reserve it for long absences of frequent/regular short ones.

I'm not sure it is even the HT's choice any more, rules are tightening up from 1st Sept in England with the new 'The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013' which prevents authorised holidays and only permits time off in exceptional circumstances. link

It looks like the fine levels have standardised too though, it says £60 but I can't see if that is per day, per week or in total.

our school has said they will charge fines from sept. £60 per child per day (they say) But whether they do or not seems to be a bit unclear at the moment.

They have completely stopped letting anyone have time off for holidays, they will all be denied.

The fine has been standardised for years. It is currently £60 if it is paid within 21 days rising to £120 if it is paid within 28 days. Beyond that the matter will go to court. Both parents are liable, so you and your partner can be fined £60 each. The school can issue a penalty notice for each half day missed so you and your partner could be fined £240 per day between you.

Note that the head is entitled to issue a penalty notice without any involvement by the LA but they must conform with any code of conduct drawn up by the LA.

Ffs that's ridiculous, our primary allows ten days holiday per year.

I would suggest your children have d and v

Thanks to all that replied I'm just going to have to wait for the end result after the hols

So does ours pearlywhite but just not allowed them with it been September

Pearly I think you will find as someone else has mentioned, come Sept that won't be the case. Our Primary has already told us they can't authorise anymore.

Yes, all the schools in our authority are no longer authorising holidays in term time.

Our authority has brought in unauthorised absence and it has been used in our school since Sept. Lots still going on hols and no one been fined.

Thanks pancake flipper going to just have to risk it holiday booked other son will be poorly not even going to bother with holiday form for him

Has your DH tried to negotiate his leave allocation with his employer?

Have you asked for a meeting with the HT? Perhaps if you discuss the situation in more detail and demonstrate that the leave allocation is fixed, they might revise the decision.

At DD's primary all leave during the school term has been unauthorised for years but it always seem the same families going away during term times and nobody seems to have been fined so far. May be worth asking around how this had been handled at your school during the past school year.

Just to point out the first few days of the new year in September are really important- getting settled into new classroom/new teacher (maybe new friends) . Not big on the fact learning but they will miss out...

The rules on unauthorised absences were set in the Education Act 1996. All that is happening with the new version is that it says that heads can authorise absences up to 10 days per year in exceptional circumstances. That is exactly the same as the version coming in, all that has gone is the wording giving examples of what might be considered exceptional.

So if you can persuade the head it is exceptional, you can still get authorisation. But some heads do prefer to see children in school in term time, and take their own view on what should count.

As a teacher I strongly recommend that anyone taking children out of school does it just before the summer hols not just after!!!! In July all the curriculum will have been covered and not much will be missed....in September new teachers, new friends and new rules will be missed out on and it is a key time to assess your class and make decisions about sets, sen support etc.

I am attendance governor at our local primary school. Our headteacher is quite willing to authorize absence in term time - especially in circumstances such as yours. But apparently the LA have very strict rules that holidays at the very beginning and end of term cannot be authorized whatever the circumstances.

fraggle - given the children's father works away from home and is only on leave for a short period of time, I would strongly recommend that the children spend that period with him before he goes away again and suffer the consequence of establishing themselves in the new academic year.
I agree that missing some time in September is distruptive but not seeing their father during his leave when he normally works away to me would be more so.

My thoughts exactly fraggle he comes home 4 days in every month why cant our children spend quality time with especially when they are at school when he home think a visit to the head is in order of today

No go with head teacher I asked who I can phone to speak to for Likely hood on getting a fine have to contact La tommorow to see what they have to say

I wouldn't blame the Head too much, their hands are becoming effectively tied and discretion is becoming a thing of the past. Whether the LA would do anything as regards a fine is usually down to circumstances, ours doesn't if it is seen as a one off!

Schools do not, and have never "allowed" 10 days holiday a year. It used to be that HTs were able to allow "up to" 10 days, for exceptional circumstances (e.g. a funeral).
But now, they're under huge pressure from Ofsted to have attendance at a certain percentage, depending on their area. Our affluent leafy suburb means 96% - for the whole school, not individuals.