Penalty notice for 1 day off school?

anne246 · 2024-02-27T19:06:05+00:00

My son had a day off school for his birthday. I informed school that he will not be attending due to having a family day out to celebrate his birthday. I have received an email saying that the school have a duty to inform the education welfare officer and they may serve me with a penalty notice. Can they do this for just having a single unauthorised day off school? His attendance is over 97%.

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imnotgoodenoughtobehere · 27/02/2024 19:09

As far as I am aware, you have to have a whole 5 consecutive days off to get a fine. I wouldn’t worry. Next time don’t tell the school and say he’s ill.

itsallabitofamystery · 27/02/2024 19:11

It has to be more than 5 sessions in my area for a fine.

BishyBarnyBee · 27/02/2024 19:27

Taking your child out of school for his birthday shows utter contempt for the school's efforts to educate your child, so they are probably making a point by sending you the formal letter.

There is a big correlation between good school attendance and good progress. This is why governments (not schools) brought in the fines. The school curriculum is really difficult to deliver if children are randomly out of school for odd days and holidays. So you are making your child's teachers life harder because they have to spend time making up the work your child missed. If it was the start or final task of a unit of work, there is no way to do that other than 1:1.

Multiply that by 30 birthdays, multiple children having holidays in term time and kids who are off at the slightest sniffle, and the education of all the class is affected.

And there is literally no excuse for having a birthday off. That just shouldn't be a thing. Kids will be quite happy to have a family day out on one of the weekends near their birthday, be in school to have a fuss made of them (which is often a nice thing you have actually taken away from your child) - and have a nice tea on the day.

You also gave your child the message that school doesn't really matter, so good luck getting him to attend secondary school when he doesn't feel like it in a few years time. And don't even think of lying next year as @imnotgoodenoughtobehere suggests, making your child lie to a teacher is terrible parenting.

TreeHuggerMum1 · 27/02/2024 19:32

As an attendance offer, it’s 5 days over the course of a rolling 12 month period, of unauthorised absence. So, illness is authorised and wouldn’t count. County would not get involved for one day, they’d laugh it out.

prh47bridge · 27/02/2024 19:48

Each LA sets its own criteria for fining parents for unauthorised absence. Most will not fine for a single day of absence. However, there is at least one LA that issues fines for any unauthorised absence, even if it is only a single day.

Legally, yes, they can fine you for a single day of unauthorised absence. Without knowing where you live, it is impossible to say whether it is likely.

Fire9636 · 27/02/2024 19:54

You would get fined for this in my LA. Mainly as you directed them what the day off was for and it wasn’t an authorised absence

verrrysadd · 27/02/2024 19:56

You won't get a fine for one day.

But it is ridiculous to take a child out of school for their birthday.

Flanjango · 27/02/2024 19:59

They are just sounding off. Ignore it. It's one day of primary. Sounds like the school is rather overzealous and I'd be concerned going forward how they approach genuine days off. Next time just tell them he's sick.

DancingLikeARobotFrom1984 · 27/02/2024 19:59

I imagine they don't want this to become 'a thing' with every child wanting/expecting their bday off school because "Alfie got his bday off".

I actually see their point here.

I don't think time out of school for a trip abroad for example is all that terrible in primary school at least. But I can imagine the school dreading this becoming the latest fad.

Schools are being told to improve attendance atm as well, so imagine if lots of kids start doing this... I can see why they're being strict in this case.

HappierTimesAhead · 27/02/2024 20:00

BishyBarnyBee · 27/02/2024 19:27

Taking your child out of school for his birthday shows utter contempt for the school's efforts to educate your child, so they are probably making a point by sending you the formal letter.

There is a big correlation between good school attendance and good progress. This is why governments (not schools) brought in the fines. The school curriculum is really difficult to deliver if children are randomly out of school for odd days and holidays. So you are making your child's teachers life harder because they have to spend time making up the work your child missed. If it was the start or final task of a unit of work, there is no way to do that other than 1:1.

Multiply that by 30 birthdays, multiple children having holidays in term time and kids who are off at the slightest sniffle, and the education of all the class is affected.

And there is literally no excuse for having a birthday off. That just shouldn't be a thing. Kids will be quite happy to have a family day out on one of the weekends near their birthday, be in school to have a fuss made of them (which is often a nice thing you have actually taken away from your child) - and have a nice tea on the day.

You also gave your child the message that school doesn't really matter, so good luck getting him to attend secondary school when he doesn't feel like it in a few years time. And don't even think of lying next year as @imnotgoodenoughtobehere suggests, making your child lie to a teacher is terrible parenting.

"Utter contempt" 😂

DancingLikeARobotFrom1984 · 27/02/2024 20:01

Sorry, I assumed primary but op didn't actually say that

Sirzy · 27/02/2024 20:02

imnotgoodenoughtobehere · 27/02/2024 19:09

As far as I am aware, you have to have a whole 5 consecutive days off to get a fine. I wouldn’t worry. Next time don’t tell the school and say he’s ill.

School will know it’s the child’s birthday. It doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together why they are off!

NameChangeAgain0224 · 27/02/2024 20:02

I can’t believe you were honest with them about why he was off 😂😂

If you’re going to keep a kid off school for their birthday the least you can do is pretend they’re ill 😂

Based on that, I can’t say I’m surprised by their response!

Growlybear83 · 27/02/2024 20:03

You would potentially be given a fixed penalty notice in the local authority where I work, and quite rightly so for keeping your child off school for such a ridiculous reason.

lyingonthebeach · 27/02/2024 20:03

Taking a child out of school for a birthday? Shows utter contempt for the teaching profession! Tbh, I never heard of anything so bloody stupid!

Tygertiger · 27/02/2024 20:06

Keeping your child off school for their birthday is absolutely ridiculous. I don’t think you’ll get fined, but that’s not the point. What a poor lesson to teach your child about the value of education. Sure, it’s just one day - but if every child in the class does it, then that’s 30 days over the year of totally unnecessary absence and parents don’t seem to grasp that there is a structured curriculum which builds knowledge from step to step. Missing a day has impact. Illness means it can’t be avoided at times, but if you choose to educate your child via the school system (and you had a choice) then you should commit to sending them in every day. They are off school for 170 days a year. That’s plenty of birthday-celebration time.

apossumatthewindow · 27/02/2024 20:08

No you won't get in trouble but it was a ridiculous thing to do you less obviously tour child has a life limiting illness you forgot to mention

TheSnowyOwl · 27/02/2024 20:11

Yes they can inform the education welfare officer and yes they might serve you with a penalty notice. Whether they will or not am whether they will take any action is unknown and varies throughout the country but as you asked, yes they can to both.

lyingonthebeach · 28/02/2024 18:00

OP has gone quiet