Term time holiday court fine help please?

oldbigead

Morning all wondered if anyone can offer any advice?
Went on a term time holiday in January this year ,we have two girls in high school;who we'd got permission from the headmaster to take out of school,however the primary head refused.

So we went anyway,we cant afford any kind of holiday apart from this (5 days in a Uk holiday park in Jan ha-ha

At the start of March the council issued 4 fixed penalty notices at £60 per child per parent for my two youngest kids

we didn't have the money,and the fines doubled and of course we still don't have the money.

We have now a summons from the court/mc100 form

I will be pleading guilty,however is there anything I can do to try and keep the fine down?;I work part time and my wife is unemployed

will i be able to pay the fine in instalments?

would,i be be better pleading guilty in person,or by post?

Thanks in advance
Oldbigead

sourcrates

oldbigead wrote: »

Morning all wondered if anyone can offer any advice?
Went on a term time holiday in January this year ,we have two girls in high school;who we'd got permission from the headmaster to take out of school,however the primary head refused.

So we went anyway,we cant afford any kind of holiday apart from this (5 days in a Uk holiday park in Jan ha-ha

At the start of March the council issued 4 fixed penalty notices at £60 per child per parent for my two youngest kids

we didn't have the money,and the fines doubled and of course we still don't have the money.

We have now a summons from the court/mc100 form

I will be pleading guilty,however is there anything I can do to try and keep the fine down?;I work part time and my wife is unemployed

will i be able to pay the fine in instalments?

would,i be be better pleading guilty in person,or by post?

Thanks in advance
Oldbigead

Just be honest with the judge would be your best bet, explain why you had to go on holiday during term time, yes, I assume they will allow you to pay in instalments, and always better face to face I think, much easier to explain yourself.

FireWyrm

Wait, you had took two children out of school, but you had permission to remove one of them and you STILL got 4 fixed penalty fines? Surely, that should have been only two fixed penalty fines? You had permission for one of them?

Unfortunately, you cant dodge the fines, but if it were me, I would be so incensed at the judgement I would make it my business to report that head every time he took a day off! It seems teachers can pull a 'teacher training day' any time they like and parents just have to work around it, but missing 5 days of school once in a blue moon for a holiday counts as truancy. It is truly disgusting and I sympathise, but that's about all we can do.

Mojisola

oldbigead wrote: »

Went on a term time holiday in January this year ,we have two girls in high school;who we'd got permission from the headmaster to take out of school,however the primary head refused.

So we went anyway,we cant afford any kind of holiday apart from this (5 days in a Uk holiday park in Jan ha-ha

At the start of March the council issued 4 fixed penalty notices at £60 per child per parent for my two youngest kids

Didn't you realise that you would be fined for the two younger children?

oldbigead

yes but both kids had (prior to the holiday),only a day off each,and half a day between them since,didnt expect to trigger the fine tbh!

Mojisola

It's usually ten sessions (5 days) that triggers the fines - your council website should give local information.

Idiophreak

FireWyrm wrote: »

Wait, you had took two children out of school, but you had permission to remove one of them and you STILL got 4 fixed penalty fines? Surely, that should have been only two fixed penalty fines? You had permission for one of them?

OP said there were 4 - 2 per child per parent....

Why would each parent be fined separately?

Mojisola

Idiophreak wrote: »

OP said there were 4 - 2 per child per parent....

Why would each parent be fined separately?

Because that's the way the law is written.

A separated parent who has no control over what the other parent does could also be fined if the children were taken away on holiday.

oldbigead

just the way it is,I dont dispute that we are guilty,but do you think that showing the judge thevupdate attendance records and promising not to be naughty ever again will help lessen the fine?

Idiophreak

Mojisola wrote: »

Because that's the way the law is written.

A separated parent who has no control over what the other parent does could also be fined if the children were taken away on holiday.

Oh, well that...sucks

Mojisola

oldbigead wrote: »

just the way it is,I dont dispute that we are guilty,but do you think that showing the judge thevupdate attendance records and promising not to be naughty ever again will help lessen the fine?

I doubt it. The court appearance will be to deal with the non-payment of the fine. They won't be interested in the original reason for the fine.