Fine for unauthorised absence

[Bluesunflower89]

Hi,
I put in a request to take my children out of school for half a day as I have booked a holiday and we fly out the last day of term so my kids would only need half the day off which is only 2hours absence. I received a letter to state it has been declined and if I take my kids out then they will request to issue me with a penalty notice. What should I do, for the sake of 2 hours will they really fine me? My kids have amazing attendance.

Pay it.

If it was longer then I would but for the sake of 2 hours it seems extreme to fine someone

If you are issued with a fine you have to pay it
Seems a bit harsh for 2 hours but it IS an unauthorised absence so pay up

You don't get a fine just for half a day, so have they added on other absences to reach the trigger threshold? If they haven't got other absences, it must be a mistake.

The trigger for a fine is 10 sessions so 5 days in total over a year,have you taken them out this year already?

My kids haven’t been off, last time one was off was half a day in October. Their attendance is amazing

10 unauthorised absences can trigger a fine. ie 5 mornings and 5 afternoons (or any combination of missed mornings and afternoons that add up to 10).

1 missed afternoon wouldn't trigger a fine - especially if your children are actually in for afternoon registration.

Have they had any other absences? Has any illness or appointments correctly been recorded as authorised?

Schools are completely loosing the plot on this.

Once they've been registered for the afternoon session it won't even count as an absence. I wouldn't have even put in a request for that!

Why should you be let off? It's unauthorised absence. Them's the rules!

It's not the rules to fine someone for 1 missed session!

Why even bother asking, the rules are so clear. No term time holiday will be approved, so just go and enjoy as most parents do. If your child has 10 sessions (5 days off) in a rolling 10 week period you will be fined

Those aren't the rules.

Should have just said they had dentist or something

Don't ask just tell (then they don't waste time ringing). If they put it as unauthorised, then it will simply add to any others and trigger fines when whatever arbitrary allowable number had been breached. Wouldn't worry. Enjoy the time off.

Yep, so OP should take it up with the school if it's an error. Or suck it up if it's not and the child has actually had more time off.

IMO, all unauthorised absences should get a fine.

Are you sure you have understood the letter? 10 conservative absences (morning and afternoon register, so 1 full week) will trigger a fine, or 10 absences within a certain period of time (which isn't the case here).

However, at my school any unauthorised absence is met with a warning letter about the fine system and how this requested absence may trigger it if your child has reached the threshold. It's a standard letter, there's no rewording depending on how long you have requested off so you would receive the letter whether you're requesting half a day or a fortnight. It's our school policy to send the letter, to remind parents that we do not authorise holidays and they could be at risk of a fine. Surely a similar letter has been issued here? Half a day, with good attendance, will not trigger a fine so I'd just ignore the letter and get on with your life.

I don’t want any special treatment hence why I put in a request. My kids are never off school, even their appointments are made outside of school hours. My point was that a fine for 2 hours seems extreme.

It says. If your child does not attend school during the dates requested the absence with be recorded as unauthorised and a request to issue you with a penalty notice will be made.

Well that's not how the system works so I honestly wouldn't give it a second thought. Sounds like they're just trying to put the frighteners on people. It's not right, but I honestly wouldn't worry about it.

It sounds like a generic letter

I've no experience but in these circumstances I'd just ignore it and take them out of school for the half day you've requested. If they do follow up with a fine then I would contest it showing their previous excellent attendance and the fact it's 2hrs which let's be honest on the last afternoon of term is not going to filled with info that they will need to not fail their exams and end up as unemployed bums! Surely common sense will kick in at some point!

For what it's worth I do agree with the fines and do believe good attendance is important but this isn't taking the piss with the length of time and the actual timing you've requested and a fine is a ridiculous overreaction in these circumstances

Are you in England? Are there really any areas that have a system that would generate a fine when you haven't even missed a session?

I wouldn't give it another thought, you knew it would be unauthorized so go and enjoy your holiday

It’s just a standard copy and paste response sent to everyone whose absence request is declined. Whether it’s 1 day or 100 days requested. They use strong wording and warnings of fines to try put people off.

They will never send you a fine for missing half a day.

Does picking them up after afternoon registration work for you? If so, pick them up then!

If youre in England, the rules are 10 sessions over a 10 week period. So no, they can't fine you for a 2 hour absence. And if its really 2 hours, they should get their afternoon mark anyway? You can let them go to lesson after lunch break, then they wont have any absence marked at all.

You can’t be fined for one day,I wouldn’t have even bothered asking,I would of just phoned up and said they were ill for one day.