Fined for holiday in school time

Kazipoo

Actually, I don't know the ins and outs of this, but, a friend of mine had similar problems in Leeds. They warned her that if she took her kids out of school for a holiday they would fine her, as their attendance wasn't good enough. She took them out anyway, despite it being unauthorised, and was contacted by the truancy officer at the LEA. She argued that whilst education itself is compulsory, school is not. She told them about all of the educational things they did whilst they were away on holiday, and challenged them to prove that her kids did not learn something from their time away. They let the case drop and she was let off with a warning.

hermanmunster_3

I suspect you may just have to pay up and consider a lesson learnt!

spike7451

End of the day,it's the local authority dictating to parents 'You WILL do as we say' & a nice little earner for them to boot!

Deals_2

considering kids probably learn more with their parents and travel than at school even more silly. if in addition you told them i would also argue your case. also i know of loads of mums who home teach and some of the most intelligent people - i believe Einstein might be included in this - were home taught!!! so pathetic in my opinion. i think it is more to make the teachers life easier as they will get into trouble otherwise if they dont fit certain criteria!!! why i will never work in a school!!!

clarabella23 wrote: »

Hi, just wondered if anyone had any experience in this area? In November I took my daughter to Florida for 3 weeks. This holiday was booked May 2008, when my daughter was 4 and in Reception class. She was 5 when we went away, and in Year 1 at school.
When I booked the holiday, the law wasn't yet in place (as far as I believe) about taking children out of school. She also has not had any days off throughout the year, except for 2 dentist appointments.
Yesterday, I came home from work to find a letter saying I had to pay a £50 fine by 11th Jan for this. If I don't pay by then, it will double to £100, then eventually I will be prosecuted and possibly be fined £2,500.
There is no information on the letter about appealing, which is what I would like to do. Anybody been in a similar situation?
Thanks, Claire

emlou2009

i think its wrong to fine parents for taking the kids out of school, but i do think if they are going to do so, then they might as well make it actually worth it - £50 fine when the OP would have saved probably £1000 or more on a florida holiday is hardly an incentive to parents to not take the kids out during term time! if it was me, i would almost definitely just add the £50 fine to the cost of the holiday, just consider it part of the holiday costs, if it was going to save me that much money

clarabella23

Not saying I never expected it, obviously knew it could happen. Saying that the headteacher never told me a fine was an option, simply that the education welfare officer would be in touch- which they haven't.
All I wanted to know was if anyone else had been through this, whether anyone has successfully appealed, or if pople just took it on the chin and paid up!
Thanks for all your thoughts!

davetrousers

TBH it's a £50 fine, you probably save a lot more than £50 on your holiday by going in term time. Probably best to pay the £50 quickly, before it rises, and consider it a lesson learned.

bestpud

As far as I am aware, 10 days has always been the maximum amount of time a school or LEA will authorise for a normal holiday.

Three weeks exceeds that and you haven't applied in the proper manner so I can't imagine how you will get out of paying.

My childrens' old school banned holidays in term time and my children took two days unauthorised because of it. I didn't have any hassle because it was the only time they had off that year, but another parent who took their child away for 12 days was visited by the EWO and yet another who took hers out for a week but the child already had a shocking attendance record was too.

If your child has been away for 17 days (including the dental appointments) then they have actually missed quite a lot of school this year already - and we haven't got the first term over yet! What happens if she gets ill later in the year?

However, I think, even had you asked for permission (in writing) and been granted it before they made the changes, they'd still have referred you to the EWO because you took her out for more than two weeks. Certainly they would have in this area.

All that said, I can see where you are coming from. I think I'd just pay it though as it doesn't seem worth making a name for yourself when you had a good time and feel it was worth it iyswim?

bylromarha

I'm a teacher and I agree that holidays for kids are a great thing. If the dream holiday can only be afforded in term time - well, fair enough. Make it an enriching experience for them, don't do it more than once every 2 years and go when it isn't a SATs year in primary or after school exams in Secondary.

BUT

The head would never have agreed to 15 days off school - the allowance was only ever 10 days per school year. If you booked when in Reception and went in yr 1, then the half term dates would have been on your council website when you booked - I can tell you when our half term is in June 2011.

The head would only have found out about your plans when you confirmed in writing a week and a half before you went - talking to the teacher and/or office is not a formal request.

You said yourself you could only afford to take her in term time - £50 no doubt is far less than paying to take her in school holiday time.

Lying about her health or asking for lesson plans is not going to help anyone - rather get you a name in school for being an annoying parent, as it's obvious you're grabbing at straws.

The head said no. You went anyway. You'll be wasting your time if you appeal - my advice is to just pay it

PolishBigSpender

Depriving a child's family of 50 pounds is hardly going to benefit the child, is it?

What a ridiculous system.