School Holiday Fines

Spendless

Music_Teacher wrote: »

As as teacher I won't object to you taking your child out of school for a cheap holiday if you don't object to teachers not turning up for a couple of weeks to have the same privilege, why shouldn't we have the option too - many of us have young families. Also don't expect staff to spend extra time to help your child catch up missed work - when it's done deliberately, quite frankly, I can't be bothered...

Unlike yourself, I don't get to have annual leave 'en-masse' with my colleagues. We're allowed to be off one at a time in a team of 4. We also aren't able to be off from mid-Dec to Dec 31st off. As you can see a fortnights holiday for each of us in the school holidays doesn't fit in to the criteria that my workplace insist we do, as they want us to be at work to fit to the demands of their own business.

pollypenny

Music_Teacher wrote: »

As as teacher I won't object to you taking your child out of school for a cheap holiday if you don't object to teachers not turning up for a couple of weeks to have the same privilege, why shouldn't we have the option too - many of us have young families. Also don't expect staff to spend extra time to help your child catch up missed work - when it's done deliberately, quite frankly, I can't be bothered...

Although I would agree with you in general, this response to Alibobs was harsh. She explained the unusual circumstances. In this case I'd advise her to have a chat to the headteacher.

I'm a retired teacher, btw.

Mojisola

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

We have had a terrible couple of months with my Dad being ill, travelling back and forth to various hospitals all through Christmas and New year till he finally passed away early this month.

As a family we are devastated, and my 2 youngest have been particularly upset. My OH and I have decided we really need to get away and reconnect as a family, but due to a number of unexpected costs and our low income there is no way we can afford to go in term time. We managed to book a cheap 4 nights away in this country for under £100 off season BUT in term time. We went for a week that includes a bank holiday so they will only be out of school for 4 days

pollypenny wrote: »

Although I would agree with you in general, this response to Alibobs was harsh. She explained the unusual circumstances. In this case I'd advise her to have a chat to the headteacher.

I agree that this is the kind of case where permission would have given when the Headteacher had the authority to make the decision - knowing the family, the children's usual attendance record and the difficult times that the family had been through would have made it an easy decision.

As the children are only going to miss four days, there's a good chance that no fine will be levied under the new rules but that varies from council to council.

foxster99

ALIBOBSY - The mistake you have made is not talking to your school about this first. Sounds like you went ahead with the booking and are only now thinking about the consequences.

Schools (not the LA or anyone else) are still quite able to give your kids time off school if there is a good reason for it. If your reasons are genuine and if you'd put those into writing and sent the letter to the headteacher then they might have approved the holiday.

Schools are much less likely to rescind a fine than not issue one in the first place.

So, if anyone else is thinking they have "exceptional circumstances" then you have nothing to lose (except a fine) by putting these to your school before making a booking.

PS - (Puts on flameproof coat) I work as an Attendance Officer in a High School. If anyone has any questions about term-time holidays, fines or anything else to do with school attendance then post here and I'll give you the truth, rather than some uninformed guesswork. Note I will not respond to flames though.

Person_one

If your kids genuinely need a break to de-stress and reconnect as a family, then I wouldn't ask for homework. That's only going to undermine the whole point of the break.

maman

shiny76 wrote: »

Perhaps you should consider another profession

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/oct/24/almost-third-of-teachers-quit-within-five-years-of-qualifying-figures


Be careful what you wish for! You might end up with enforced 'holidays' if there's no one to teach your child and we all know how much parents love it when schools have to close.

Zeni

I'm a teacher and I personally don't think there is anything wrong with children having 4 days off in circumstances like that especially if your willing to take a bit of work away with you so they don't miss too much. If they have a good attendance record then I don't see the problem.
Thing is though, teachers have absolutely no control over these things only the head/govs do yet we seem to take a lot of flack for them.

trixie73

My son has a 5 year old child who lives with her mother but spends weekends with him. His ex has decided to take the child abroad in term time and the school has told him they will both get a fine. How the hell is that fair, he has no say in stopping her taking child abroad.

foxster99

trixie73 wrote: »

My son has a 5 year old child who lives with her mother but spends weekends with him. His ex has decided to take the child abroad in term time and the school has told him they will both get a fine. How the hell is that fair, he has no say in stopping her taking child abroad.

It's better than it was. It used to be (and still is with some councils) that those with parental responsibility both got a fine, even if one of the parents lived away and had no contact with the child. Used to lead to some rotten situations.

Now most local authorities fine those that a child lives with. In this case, your grandchild does live with your son, at least some of the time.

However, where there is joint parental responsibility, your son's ex legally requires his permission in writing to take his child out of the country, even for a holiday, assuming there is no Residence Order in place. Many people don't bother but that is the law.

Therefore, he does have the ability to prevent this holiday. If he fails to do so, he has given tacit approval for the holiday and so is jointly responsible and will have to live with being fined.

He should be able to avoid a fine by writing to the head teacher of the school before the holiday and stating that he has not given permission for his child to leave the country. To be doubly sure, he should write to his ex saying the same. He should keep copies of the letters. If he does still get fined by the LA he should forward the letters to them and they should cancel the fine.

ALIBOBSY

Just a little update I tracked down my LEA's policies on fines and currently it still has them only considering fines for 10 school sessions i.e. 5 days unauthorised in one term or 20 sessions over 2 terms.

But I am prepared that they may still fine us, will apply for permission anyway and see what happens. Could really do without the fine, but if we have to will sort that out when we come back, probably have to do a bit of juggling with bills and the like if and when it happens. But the important thing is the kids and our health we feel.

Thanks for all the comments

Ali x