School Term Time Fines

mandragora_2

Yep. You can be fined if you don't get your children educated. Shocker, I know.

tismemick

I'd still like to know what law this is under and the exact wording of the laws involved in this, all i can find is local government sites stating that the laws states you dont have the auotmatic right to take your child out of school,

but would still if anyone knows lie the exact wording of the law and the law statute itsself

tismemick

ok after a good look around there are some intresting wording in the actual laws, lol, have a good read through the links i'm posting below,

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/schoolattendance/legislation/index.cfm

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2006/uksi_20061751_en.pdf


enjoy

Pont

I'm still puzzled by all this.
All I can find is that this 'ruling' falls under the Anti Social Behaviour Act (2003) which in turn refers to Education Act (1996) section 444: Offence -failure to secure regular attendance at school of registered pupil.
What is termed as regular? In another part of the Act (6c), 200 attendances (100 full days - 20 weeks a year) are termed regular!
(3) The child shall not be taken to have failed to attend regularly at the school by reason of his absence from the school—
(a) with leave, (read on the whim of a particular Head Teacher!)
(b) at any time when he was prevented from attending by reason of sickness or any unavoidable cause, (if parents have booked holiday due to their terms of employment, I would think it pretty unavoidable not to be taking DD or DS along too!)
or
(c) on any day exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which his parent belongs.

Can't help but think if a child regularly attends school (Ie. Not a habitual non-attender) any legal action taken by a LEA would be laughed out of court.

Still would like to know if anybody has any first hand experience of this.



-

Pont

tismemick wrote: »

ok after a good look around there are some intresting wording in the actual laws, lol, have a good read through the links i'm posting below,

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/schoolattendance/legislation/index.cfm

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2006/uksi_20061751_en.pdf


enjoy

What a joke! Maybe the answer is that if parents want to take little Jimmy to experience some winter sun for 3 weeks they:-
a) Withdraw him from the school roll as are going to 'home educate', then
b) Re register him at his school upon return (along with a suspicious suntan!).
This can't be refused so long as there are places in the school as the LEA have a legal duty to place him at an appropriate school. Bet the school/LEA will just love all the extra paperwork!

How ridiculous! Nobody is suggesting that irresponsible parents shouldn't be penalised but what happened to commonsense in these matters?

I wouldn't take my children out of school/college if they were behind in their studies or exams were looming, but I would have no hesitation in whisking them off somewhere a week before Christmas when nothing gets done anyway.

Roman_Camel

dwileflunker wrote: »

Living in an area with a high Asian community (mainly from Pakistan and Bangladesh) it annoys me intensely that their children are allowed out of school for a number of weeks (never just 1 or 2) to return to the country of their parents birth without ever falling foul of the authorities who never seem to question it or inflict fines. Yet anyone who's family has been indiginous in this country for many generations and tries to take their children on holiday in school time are hounded by these educational Nazis. It's obviously racism in reverse.

I thought there was a law that said you could take your children out of school for up to 2 weeks per year. I accept that it should be avoided at exam times etc. but if the child is on top of his/her work there shouldn't be any problems.

A teacher friend of mine taught a local primary school where there were a fair few Jehovah witnesses pupils. They took their children out of school regularly and when fines were issued they apparently never paid them

Can anyone quote the Law at all on this as there seems to be many different interpretations of it.

tigger2000

Hi,
We have never had a family holiday and due to sons dislike of school decided this year to book a long weekend away to give him something to look forward to. We asked for 1 day holiday and it has been refused.
My children are both acheiving well and above average. I have never kept them off school for any reason except illness. I even arrange dentist appointments out of school hours. We keep our children off school if they are unwell and that it is.
Refusing holidays without looking at the bigger picture( how well the children are achieving, whether there absenses have been due to illness etc) will and does only lead to parents lying about sickness and also encourages parents to send children who are ill into school because they don't want their absence rate to go down. If it was not for parents who send ill children into school then perhaps my children would not get so ill!

Rant over but.. will I get charged for 1st offence??

P.S My children are at primary school

nlwsaint

tigger2000 wrote: »

Hi,
We have never had a family holiday and due to sons dislike of school decided this year to book a long weekend away to give him something to look forward to. We asked for 1 day holiday and it has been refused.
My children are both acheiving well and above average. I have never kept them off school for any reason except illness. I even arrange dentist appointments out of school hours. We keep our children off school if they are unwell and that it is.
Refusing holidays without looking at the bigger picture( how well the children are achieving, whether there absenses have been due to illness etc) will and does only lead to parents lying about sickness and also encourages parents to send children who are ill into school because they don't want their absence rate to go down. If it was not for parents who send ill children into school then perhaps my children would not get so ill!

Rant over but.. will I get charged for 1st offence??

P.S My children are at primary school

That's unbelievable. At least you were being honest & asking for permission. How many parents would have just sent a note in afterwards saying their child was ill? I don't condone parents who regulary take their children out of school, but for 1 day you would think they would use a little common sense.

mandragora_2

Needs to be 10 sessions (ie ten half days) in my LA. I'm sorry to hear your child doesn't like school. Anything specific? It needs to be tackled, really, rather than dealt with by days off - even if it is just the two or three so far - especially if he's still only in primary. Have you spoken to the school at all?

Pont

tigger2000 wrote: »

Hi,
We have never had a family holiday and due to sons dislike of school decided this year to book a long weekend away to give him something to look forward to. We asked for 1 day holiday and it has been refused.
My children are both acheiving well and above average. I have never kept them off school for any reason except illness. I even arrange dentist appointments out of school hours. We keep our children off school if they are unwell and that it is.
Refusing holidays without looking at the bigger picture( how well the children are achieving, whether there absenses have been due to illness etc) will and does only lead to parents lying about sickness and also encourages parents to send children who are ill into school because they don't want their absence rate to go down. If it was not for parents who send ill children into school then perhaps my children would not get so ill!

Rant over but.. will I get charged for 1st offence??

P.S My children are at primary school

Oh for heaven's sake - are all our schools full of mini dictators? I don't know whether to laugh or cry!
Tigger take your child for a weekend away, have a lovely time then send in a note saying he was on an 'educational visit'. Or if you really want to mess up their books don't send in a note so they have an unauthorised absence on their records. If you really want to waste their time send in a letter asking exactly what their basis for refusal for one miserly day off is (cite the above law stating one day is clearly not 'failing to ensure your child attends school on a regular basis'.
This ridiculous attitude from so called educationalists makes my blood boil.