School fines

[goldcorn]

In 2013 my husband and I were fined when our child was not attending school. We paid the fines right away. The reason for non attendance was mental health and our child was later admitted to hospital for 17 months. Years later I feel this was so unfair. The subject of increasing fines for parents is now being discussed in the news. I feel upset. Has anyone successfully had these fines paid back years later? It's not about the money bet the principle.

Years later I feel this was so unfair.

woah

Come on op - issue of fines have been a big story for many years.

you need to move on. Why didn’t you get GP letter to confirm it was sickness?

We did everything including getting a letter from GP. Who, btw, my husband had to beg to come to our home. We had been fined by then.

You cannot be penalised for a genuine medical absence. Schools must authorise an absence where a child is ill or has a medical appointment

baffled why you were fined if you had clear medical evidence that he couldn’t be at school

how much we talking about here?

It was absolutely genuine. As I said my child was later admitted to hospital for 17 months.
The school fined us when we were trying to work with them about why my child was not attending. They were just interested in attendance no matter what. Later they obviously knew the reasons but never refunded. We should have fought at the time I know. But when your child is not participating in life it's the furthest from your mind. I have over the years since wondered whether to take it further, but always felt maybe just forget and move on.
It may seem from my post that we haven't moved on, but actually we have. It was just that a sense of injustice hit me this morning realising that other parents may be in the same position we were in and being faced with fines etc to add to their misery.
My question was really has anyone had fines refunded years later?

Also the school sent teachers to my child's reviews at the teen mental health unit so knew all about it. They used it as a sort of training ground for themselves...hopefully they learned something!

Nothing lost then in contacting your LEA to enquire

Thank you