Unauthorised absence

[Fashionista22]

My DC is starting school in Septmber and the teacher has said that 3 days off will be classed as an unauthorised absence, which I understand as it's in term time, but does anyone know if I'll get a fine for this? Does any unauthorised absence mean a fine?

How old are they and when are they 5?
It totally depends on the school and local authority. I'm a teacher, in some schools I've worked in the fine is always pursued, in other schools a fine is extremely rare and would relate more to constant days off, for example only a couple of days a week attendance each week for a term, where education was clearly suffering.
The school notifies the LA and it's up to them whether they follow up the fine.

And no, unauthorised doesn't automatically mean a fine but that's what it's recorded as.

Two things

1. You can only be fined if your child is the legal age to attend school, which is the term after they turn 5. You can not fine 4-year-olds or those turning 5 within that term.

2. A fine can be imposed for 5 days, which do not need to be linked in one event.
   A parent taking 2 days off week 1 and then 3 days off week 8 can be referred onto a fine.

The 5-day rule is within a 10-week period, which can span across two different terms.

Thank you for your replies. I've deferred her, so she'll have just turned five a few days before she starts, do that mean the rules will still apply?

So there are different rules depending on LA but as long as I don't take off more than 5 days within 10 weeks I won't get a fine? It's not so much the fine I'm worried about but LA getting involved and it counting towards the three fines within three years.

Please do not worry about this for one reason or another. My son has 61% attendance.
I have not been fined