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.

You've probably just been sent a template letter, I wouldn't worry about it, you won't hear anything else. They'll report to the council, but the council won't issue a penalty notice for half a day.

It's not true that they can't fine you for just one session if you are in England, they definitely can. The rules changed in August last year and they have to fine you if you have unauthorised absence for 10 sessions but it's up to each council to decide how few sessions they allow before they issue fines, so it can be as little as 1 session. The fine is £80 per child and per parent, so if there are two parents then £160 per child.

All you can realistically do is wait and see if they do fine you, and if they do pay it asap because the fine doubles if you don't pay it within 28 days.

Just because “a request” for a fine is made dose not mean it will be issued. The time off dose not meet the threshold for a fine so you will be fine.

Also if it’s only 2 hours I’m assuming they will be in school for the afternoon register, they will just be marked down as leaving early. Again absolutely nothing to worry about, as far as the school register is concerned they are in attendance.

It sounds like a standard letter has been issued.

Also you don’t just have to pay fines. If you disagree with them you can contest them. The fines are issued through the LA after the school requests them. Parents at my DDs school refused to pay and went to court, the judge was furious that it had been issued and gone to court. The LA pulled the school up on requesting it as one of the parents worked in tourism and couldn’t take peek times off for holidays. The school was being difficult with the parents due to a poor relationship between the 2.

@BillyILash True, you can contest the fines but there is no point in doing it if your only reason is you wanted to go on holiday and it was cheaper if they skipped the last day of school. There needs to be a valid or sensible reason for why they had to be off that particular day.

I guess you dont care about the school knowing you're a liar but absolutely no one would believe that all your children are conviently ill on the last day of term

Why do people make unnecessary stuff up when there's no reason at all not to be honest about needing to leave a couple of hours early

Can you take him out after afternoon registration? That is what a lot of parents do anyway for other thing so their child can still be eligible for the ridiculous 100% attendance award.

My sons old primary school (that we have since removed him from due to bullying, from staff, parents and other kids!) made us fill in a holiday form for 1 hour!

We were going away for the weekend for his grandfathers 70th birthday. They did authorise it but literally not until the day before!

Yet the secondary school oldest is at were like yep no problem. Authorised it, no holiday form needed.

The primary however authorise more for the trouble makers than the kids with good attendance!

They’re either mistaken or trying to scare you into keeeping them in. You don’t get fined for half a day… next time say they have a dentist appt…

Even sickness? Grandma's funeral?

Schools are so petty about absences in England 🙄

It is harsh but you don’t get to make the rules. Pay it or change your dates.
It’s the same as someone getting a parking fine for being only slightly late back to the car or speeding when driving only slightly over.

You're right, sadly. Little sods can 'ageee' to attend for two hours a day, during which time they can choose what they do. Bog standard, ordinary families, whose chikdrens' attendance/behaviour is good and whose family can only afford a holiday during term time, get fined.

The poster said all unauthorised absence. Sickness and a relatives funeral is most likely not going to be unauthorised.

Is a ‘request’ to issue a fine the same as actually issuing a fine?

It sounds as if they have sent the standard response to any unauthorised absence.

Holidays are never authorised (outside of tightly defined exceptions) so not sure why anyone would ask.

Just say you need to pick them up 10 mins after afternoon registration.

Unauthorised absences. Presumably sickness and funerals would be authorised.

Pay it. Everyone else has to 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yeh sadly. These kids are the ones that can do no wrong in schools eyes. I reported one for bullying my son and the senco actually said to my face "oh xxx wouldn't do anything like that!" school did nothing about another parent threatening me as I tried to get my son into school.

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.

I agree. Regardless of anyone's opinions on the rules being too harsh or too lenient, this just isn't how it works.

Just lie and say they have a stomach bug.

If you can, collect them straight after afternoon registration, then they won't have an absence.

They cannot authorise holidays, end of. You have two options, pick them up after the morning session and hope for no fine or let them be registered for the afternoon then pick them up

Our daughter took the grandson out of school for 9 days.
To hopefully get there in time before his grandmother died
and to attend the funeral.

School informed to be told DD will be fined.
It was £80.

If you get a fine then just pay it. You probably won't.
If you can pick child up after afternoon registration do that - this way they won't show any missing attendance.
Next time if you need one day off - just ring in and say your child is ill. It's awful you have to lie but there it is!

You’ve been sent just the generic letter that everyone gets sent when requesting time off. It’s 10 sessions so 5 days that trigger a fine and as you’ve advised they’ve pretty much got perfect attendance you won’t be fined.
You were too honest, most people seem to phone them in sick if they need to take them out for a day or 2. Our school ask for proof of medical appointments now so whereas people used to pick up early stating a dentist appointment etc this can’t be done as easily now.
If you pick them up after lunchtime registration has taken place, they won’t even get an absent mark, the school don’t alter registers once electronically sent/handed into the office.

They probably sent you the template letter that someone who requested a week would have received.

Holidays are never authorised so you shot yourself in the foot being honest. Your child’s current attendance rate is neither here nor there- they can’t “reward” your child with holiday time when health is down to luck.

Can you pick them up after afternoon register? That way they are recorded as present for the afternoon and you get to leave earlier.

Having an unauthorised isn’t really a big deal and I would just add the fine to the cost of the holiday.