School Holiday Fines

DarkShadow

It's wrong to break school rules take take kids on holiday during the term time unless its something minor like 1,2 days. Back in the day, if my parents took me away for a week during my school time, I would be liable for readmission.

Then again, we have a very overpriced childcare scheme in this country which isn't even adequate for most peoples needs.

maman

Obviously desiderata's child has complex needs and this retreat is designed to help his mental health. Personally I'd consider that in much the same way as a medical appointment. So if the retreat is available out of school hours then fine but otherwise he needs permission.

DarkShadow wrote: »

It's wrong to break school rules take take kids on holiday during the term time unless its something minor like 1,2 days. Back in the day, if my parents took me away for a week during my school time, I would be liable for readmission.

Then again, we have a very overpriced childcare scheme in this country which isn't even adequate for most peoples needs.

I'm tempted to say that it's not overpriced between the ages of 5 and 16. Many people prize that sort of childcare and get extremely irate when it's not available because of staff training or snow or, god forbid, the child minders go on strike!:eek::rotfl:

foxster99

Desiderata58 wrote: »

I wonder if someone could advise me please as I've not seen my situation arise. My son has special needs and isn't in a full time placement, he goes to a local school/academy for one hour after everyone has gone home. This us whilst we were waiting on an ehcp. This has now been approved so this is the last term here. As he will have another place to go suited for his needs. We've been doing this one hour almost 3yrs. He's year 9 going upto 10. We've never been away, and I've found him the perfect retreat to help ease his anxiety and depression. It's a week before term ends. Will I be fined. Bearing in mind they only keep him on this hour to keep being financed for him plus they couldn't deal with him any other way as they kept excluding him before realising his complex needs, Thanks in advance.

Sounds pretty unlikely they'd want to fine you.

Just talk to your school face-to-face and give the background and reasons.

GerrytheMole

My son in law is a member of the armed police, his holidays are allocated (and of course can be cancelled in emergencies). He works nights and days on shifts, and is often away from family home for days at a time, he protects us against terrorists and armed criminals. Daughter has constant worry reference his safety and greatly wishes for a sunshine family holiday with them all together. The nub is that his holidays has been allocated outside term time. A personal meeting with the school Head has advised that they will be fined if they take the child, aged 7, out of school. His school attendance is in the high 95% category. Can they appeal the decision of the Head? If so how?

takman

GerrytheMole wrote: »

My son in law is a member of the armed police, his holidays are allocated (and of course can be cancelled in emergencies). He works nights and days on shifts, and is often away from family home for days at a time, he protects us against terrorists and armed criminals. Daughter has constant worry reference his safety and greatly wishes for a sunshine family holiday with them all together. The nub is that his holidays has been allocated outside term time. A personal meeting with the school Head has advised that they will be fined if they take the child, aged 7, out of school. His school attendance is in the high 95% category. Can they appeal the decision of the Head? If so how?

If the head won't approve the holiday then they should just go on holiday and pay the fine.

From all the literature i have read there is no reason that a family holiday will be considered exceptional circumstances which are required to get the holiday approved.

Mojisola

GerrytheMole wrote: »

My son in law is a member of the armed police, his holidays are allocated

The nub is that his holidays has been allocated outside term time.

See if their council has info like this -
http://www2.eastriding.gov.uk/learning/schools-colleges-and-academies/school-attendance/holidays-during-term-time-and-authorised-absence-from-school/
on their website.

"Exceptional circumstances could include:
Service personnel returning from a tour of duty abroad where it is evidenced the individual will not be in receipt of any leave in the near future that coincides with school holidays."

Your son-in-law could argue that an armed response officer whose leave doesn't coincide with school holidays should be entitled to the same leeway.

anna_1977

foxster99 wrote: »

Sounds pretty unlikely they'd want to fine you.

Just talk to your school face-to-face and give the background and reasons.

As long as your grandchild has not been absent from long periods of school before they will find it incredibly hard to fine. A school day is classed as 2 registration sessions and you have to drop below 80 school sessions absent in 100 sessions (so 2 weeks off in a 10 week period) before they are even allowed to present it to the panel that then pursue the court action. If he's only off for the 2 weeks that year and then the odd day here and they they don't have a leg to stand on

I used to sit on the panel for my local area for absent pupils

foxster99

anna_1977 wrote: »

As long as your grandchild has not been absent from long periods of school before they will find it incredibly hard to fine. A school day is classed as 2 registration sessions and you have to drop below 80 school sessions absent in 100 sessions (so 2 weeks off in a 10 week period) before they are even allowed to present it to the panel that then pursue the court action. If he's only off for the 2 weeks that year and then the odd day here and they they don't have a leg to stand on

I used to sit on the panel for my local area for absent pupils

That's not good advice these days. I have never heard of such a panel and I am certain they don't exist now.

A fine can be issued for any amount of unauthorised absence, there is no minimum. Generally, schools set their own criteria for issuing fines and the local authority are legally obliged to issue a fine when a school asks them to. Some LAs like to think they are in charge but in fact it is the school.

Typically though, schools are pretty sensible and won't issue fines unfairly. A common internal policy is to fine when there have been more than 6 sessions of unauthorised absence in the previous 12 weeks.

foxster99

GerrytheMole wrote: »

My son in law is a member of the armed police, his holidays are allocated (and of course can be cancelled in emergencies). He works nights and days on shifts, and is often away from family home for days at a time, he protects us against terrorists and armed criminals. Daughter has constant worry reference his safety and greatly wishes for a sunshine family holiday with them all together. The nub is that his holidays has been allocated outside term time. A personal meeting with the school Head has advised that they will be fined if they take the child, aged 7, out of school. His school attendance is in the high 95% category. Can they appeal the decision of the Head? If so how?

There is no appeal beyond the Head. If he said no and that a fine will be issued then that's it.

One issue is that since fines became automatic, many parents now present apparently exceptional circumstances, which I never used to see. I regularly get asked to approve absences for two weeks or so for funerals, weddings, work commitments, hospital visits in another country, christenings, divorces, cultural trips, etc. It is impossible to decide whether any of these are genuine or not. So I, like at most schools, just follow the government's regulations and say no.

The other issue is about "rights". Children have a legally guaranteed right to a full education. There is no right for parents to either a job or a holiday. Therefore, if a parent's work commitments prevent the family going abroad in the school holidays then they have no more right to deprive their child of their education than someone else doing it just because its cheaper.

Everyone knows that school holidays are fixed. People decide to have children and enrol them in schools knowing this. So they just have to suck it up and live with it for a few years.

anna_1977

foxster99 wrote: »

That's not good advice these days. I have never heard of such a panel and I am certain they don't exist now.

A fine can be issued for any amount of unauthorised absence, there is no minimum. Generally, schools set their own criteria for issuing fines and the local authority are legally obliged to issue a fine when a school asks them to. Some LAs like to think they are in charge but in fact it is the school.

Typically though, schools are pretty sensible and won't issue fines unfairly. A common internal policy is to fine when there have been more than 6 sessions of unauthorised absence in the previous 12 weeks.

Maybe it's not nationwide but in Hampshire the panels very much exist. They were setup after the Education Welfare Officers were no longer