Are schools giving fines for term time holidays this year?

[SuperCaliFragalistic]

My family have suffered a significant bereavement this year when my brother died in March. My sister in law has been offered free accommodation this week to take my niece and nephew away, the week before half term. It's only on offer this week. She feels they really need a break from home and to do something new and spend time together just the 3 of them after the horrors of the last few months.

The school have been great with supporting them through their grief but will probably fine them for this week wont they? It's a holiday, nothing more.

I've heard rumours that schools aren't issuing fines for missed days for the rest if this school year because of covid. Is this true? I cant see anything on the government websites. If anyone has a link or any official advice that would be helpful.

Thanks

Technically it’s not the schools that issue the fines.

The school may authorise the time off as exceptional circumstances.

I am sorry for your family’s loss

I'm sorry for your loss, but with the amount of school they have missed I think it would be really irresponsible to get them to miss more for a holiday. Why can't they spend time together in the UK over half term?

As ever, it's more about the LA than the schools. Some LAs fine straight away, others not so much. There's no real way of knowing until it happens.

She should apply for the leave from school but if she doesn't get it, can she afford to pay the fine?

I think the idea was that if families go abroad at half term and unexpectedly have to quarantine on return (i.e. new rules imposed when they are away) they they may not be fined.

In my school we wouldn’t seek a fine for this. I say take them and enjoy the moment.

@SuperCaliFragalistic

My family have suffered a significant bereavement this year when my brother died in March. My sister in law has been offered free accommodation this week to take my niece and nephew away, the week before half term. It's only on offer this week. She feels they really need a break from home and to do something new and spend time together just the 3 of them after the horrors of the last few months.

The school have been great with supporting them through their grief but will probably fine them for this week wont they? It's a holiday, nothing more.

I've heard rumours that schools aren't issuing fines for missed days for the rest if this school year because of covid. Is this true? I cant see anything on the government websites. If anyone has a link or any official advice that would be helpful.

Thanks

So sorry for your loss.

Schools can still request that a family is fined on attendance grounds (I work in a secondary school and there are certain cases where we are seeking a fine to be issued).

However, given your circumstances, I don't know any school that would seek to fine you. I know those higher up in my school would be very wary of bad press if they did seek to fine given your circumstances. Be honest with the school regarding the children taking this time off and see if there's any form you can fill in (they used to be called holiday request forms).

Just as a side note, we have students with significantly poor attendance (some under 70% with no medical or exceptional circumstances accounting for absence) and I haven't heard of many reaching the stage of a fine. They've had warning letters etc but I know we don't fine straight up, there's a process to go through so a child taking a weeks holiday would not be fined.

Thanks everyone. I think the school will be very understanding so we're hoping that she doesn't get fined, not just for the financial cost but also wanting to maintain good relations with the school. Fingers crossed.

And to the pp who said she was being irresponsible because of the amount of school they've missed already 1. I didn't ask for your opinion, 2. These children attended school every single day throughout lockdown as due to their fathers terminal illness they were considered vulnerable and as a result are actually keeping up very well with their peers and, 3. Not every fucking decision has to be related to fucking covid. I think the most responsible decision here is for the surviving parent to respond to the needs of the 4 and 7 year olds right now, which may not be the need to go to school.

Depends on your area but I took mine out a few weeks ago for a break on the basis of their mental health and them needing to get away from the endless covid rules in school which were making them incredibly anxious (and school have used all year to not support their SEN)... made a point of putting mental health and family needing the time to recover on the form and wasn't fined. I'd just mentally budgeted for it.

Sorry for your loss. The school will probably authorise jist enough of the holiday to keep them under the threshold where they would be fined.
FYI....the 4 year old is under the compulsory legal school age so will be fine.