Term-Time Holiday Fine - the law?

nodiscount

Tiggy10 wrote: »

Of parents who try to lie about their kids time off- the child usually doesn't keep quiet. One girls mum told me she needed a day off for a dentist appointment. As soon as mum left she said - im going to my uncles wedding!

I wonder what the school would do in a situation where the child tells the school they went on holiday vs the parent saying the child was sick?

nodiscount

Anyway, in answer to the original question, my LA says fines are imposed if a child misses 10 sessions (five days) so if you go on holiday and miss only four days it seems you are ok (in my LA) anyway.

bylromarha

Spendless wrote: »

The fine is £60 per child, per parent, per absence.

Per parent going on the holiday? Per live parent?

If a single dad wanted to take child, does mother get a random bill in the post, even if she objects to the holiday?!

Crazy rule. Why not say £120 per child and be done with it?

Makes me cross, rules like this. Yes, fine those families who get their kids to school every day, bar 5 days once a year. But pour money support time and energy into those !!!!less parents who miss a couple of days here and there each week.

Surely a fairer way would be to fine those parents with attendance less than 90% over a term/half term?

RancidM

you have children they need to go to school.
why should you expect the school to treat one family any different than the other thousand odd families at the school.

if you have a genuine case put it to the school.
if you don't have a genuine case then accept it for what it is.

All this talk about once in a life time experiences and teaching the children to evaluate the rules is cosmetic rubbish and nothing to do with the original question.

Tiggy10

peachyprice wrote: »

You do know that's changed from this September?

one of my newbies missed the first two weeks due to visiting family overseas.
Code in my register is 'unauthorised holiday'.
no one has mentioned fines though?

Tiggy10

nodiscount wrote: »

I wonder what the school would do in a situation where the child tells the school they went on holiday vs the parent saying the child was sick?

I mentioned it to the office, due to no other absences I was told there was no follow up to it, we have to take the parents word.

however if there is a history of absences we would have been allowed for proof such as a doctors note/ appointment letter.

mum2one

the fine is £60 per parent, but also per child, .....

But what annoys me - does the school get fined when the teachers take a days strike as they are on Tuesday.......

Spendless

bylromarha wrote: »

Per parent going on the holiday? Per live parent?

If a single dad wanted to take child, does mother get a random bill in the post, even if she objects to the holiday?!

Crazy rule. Why not say £120 per child and be done with it?

Makes me cross, rules like this. Yes, fine those families who get their kids to school every day, bar 5 days once a year. But pour money support time and energy into those !!!!less parents who miss a couple of days here and there each week.

Surely a fairer way would be to fine those parents with attendance less than 90% over a term/half term?

No not per parent going on the hol. eg If I took kids on hol with just me, both me and husband would be fined, same if Grandparents took them and me and husband didn't go on it we'd both still get the bill. Yes per live parent???? I guess even the LA haven't worked out a way to fine ones who have died?

No idea re parents who aren't together. Even daughter's school receptionist had no idea how that was going to be implemented, when I was talking to her about it. (I have a term time hol authorised for this academic year under exceptional circs by providing required documentation - which is how subject came up)

squashy

Tiggy10 wrote: »

I mentioned it to the office, due to no other absences I was told there was no follow up to it, we have to take the parents word.

however if there is a history of absences we would have been allowed for proof such as a doctors note/ appointment letter.

The school can only authorise the absence (i.e. for illness) where it is confident that that is the true reason. If the school learns otherwise they should change the mark accordingly.

In manchester LA, the cut-off is 5 session (2.5 days). So three days or more = fine.

I can shed some light also on the per parent per child thing, it's to do with legislation. The fine is a discharge from court proceedings which would apply to anyone with parental responsibility not ensuring attendance at school. It's in line with other areas of law as it is an offence at the end of the day. It can come as a shock to a couple with three children who then get 6 fines! Still, better that than a prison sentence