School fine a lottery?

Supahan

If possible could you give me some advice or lead me in the right direction...
We have been fined for taking kids to australia (we r deciding whether to emigrate). They were out for 6 days in total...
Now i imagined we would be fined but my argument is that other families in the same school havent been fined. (Same duration and longer!)
I have spoken to the head and she sends all absences to the lea.. so it seems more like a lottery as to whether you are fined or not...
My kids attendance is 95% with this absence... is there anything i can do to fight the fine?
Teachers are striking on tuesday yet that is acceptable?
If you can help or advise me then that would be great.
Thank you

Guest101

1: it's irrelevant what happens to others.
2: the teachers striking is a good thing for parents.
3: try your luck in court, after the recent precedent, you could easily win.

FBaby

Are you absolutely certain that they took as many/more days off? In my LEA, you are entitled to 5 days, so 1 extra day is what would trigger the fine regardless of attendance rate.

ripplyuk

It does seem to be a bit of a lottery.

I know someone who has taken her kids away on holiday twice this year during term time. She keeps them off school for any reason at all, even to go shopping or if she wants a lie in!! She's never been fined, not once. The kids also both have special needs, and all the absences only make things harder for them.

Other people get fined for missing one day at the end of term.

OP, is there a complaints process with your LEA you could try?

Person_one

Supahan wrote: »

Teachers are striking on tuesday yet that is acceptable?

Yes it is, they aren't striking just to get a day off!

Spendless

Get in touch with parents want a say (either google or they have a facebook page) see if they can offer any advice.

[Deleted User]

Isn't the chance of a fine also related to previous absences?

sheramber

Did other parents ask permission?

Did you ask permission?

So their attendance was less than 100% before this absence. Were the other chldren's abscences also less than 100% before their days off?

Have you checked your LA website to see what they allow?

z1a

My 12YO son informs me that if they appear in school with tramlines or similar cut into their hair, they get sent home until it can be hidden with a #2 cut. So next July, before silly holiday prices start, he may just acquire them!

jackieblack

z1a wrote: »

My 12YO son informs me that if they appear in school with tramlines or similar cut into their hair, they get sent home until it can be hidden with a #2 cut. So next July, before silly holiday prices start, he may just acquire them!

So you'd arrange for your child to get excluded? And you're happy for him to have that on his school record for the rest of his school 'career', possibly affecting his chances of getting into college later just on so you can get a cheap holiday?
Why not just get him to break a window or punch another child to achieve the same result?
:wall: :wall: :wall: :wall:

Person_one

jackieblack wrote: »

So you'd arrange for your child to get excluded? And you're happy for him to have that on his school record for the rest of his school 'career', possibly affecting his chances of getting into college later just on so you can get a cheap holiday?
Why not just get him to break a window or punch another child to achieve the same result?
:wall: :wall: :wall: :wall:

To be honest, if a school want to start excluding pupils for such stupid reasons as perfectly innoffensive haircuts, I think they've only got themselves to blame if people take advantage of it.

I don't think an exclusion from school shows up on a CRB, or anywhere once you leave!