Fines for 'unauthorised absence' from school

beautiful_ravens

If anyone has done this with their kids, what amount were the fines?
Thanks.

LKRDN_Morgan

I do it every year for a holiday. It’s £60 per child per parent. In primary school I was only threatened with fines never actually got one. Secondary school I expect will be less forgiving but I’ll wait and see.

Fireflyaway

Not personally but I know people who have as the savings going on holiday outside of school holidays were so great that a fine was worth it for them.
I wouldn't do it because I feel strongly about teaching the importance of following rules and having a strong work ethic. Holidays are not essential.
Having said that I think its disgusting how much holiday companies inflate prices during school holidays.

jimbo747

Fireflyaway wrote: »

Not personally but I know people who have as the savings going on holiday outside of school holidays were so great that a fine was worth it for them.
I wouldn't do it because I feel strongly about teaching the importance of following rules and having a strong work ethic. Holidays are not essential.
Having said that I think its disgusting how much holiday companies inflate prices during school holidays.

Supply and demand. They have a duty to their shareholders to make money.

If parents can't afford to take holidays without taking them out of school, then maybe they should have thought of that before having them. Not exactly a secret is it?

neneromanova

I thought it was £60 per child per parent per day?

suejb2

neneromanova wrote: »

I thought it was £60 per child per parent per day?

So that will make a cost of £1680 for one child going on a two week holiday with both parents in term time?

It's a penalty of £60 per child per parent

Spendless

neneromanova wrote: »

I thought it was £60 per child per parent per day?

No, that's an Urban Myth.

It is £60 per child, per parent. It goes upto £120 if not paid within 21 days.
I have heard that's it's worded differently (I've never seen one) that it's £120 per child, per parent, but reduced to £60 if paid within 3 weeks.

Some of us had children before the current rules were brought in (Sept 2013);)

takman

Fireflyaway wrote: »

Not personally but I know people who have as the savings going on holiday outside of school holidays were so great that a fine was worth it for them.
I wouldn't do it because I feel strongly about teaching the importance of following rules and having a strong work ethic. Holidays are not essential.
Having said that I think its disgusting how much holiday companies inflate prices during school holidays.

Well you could look at it that the holiday companies are actually discounting prices outside of school holidays and charging standard prices during the holidays. When you actually look at it in details alot of these companies are not actually making that much money so if they had low prices all year round they would actually be making a loss.

Marvel1

jimbo747 wrote: »

Supply and demand. They have a duty to their shareholders to make money.

If parents can't afford to take holidays without taking them out of school, then maybe they should have thought of that before having them. Not exactly a secret is it?

If teachers did that, no doubt the parents who do it themselves will be quick enough to moan about it. Wait they do when there is a teacher strike!

FBaby

Different schools and then different councils have different rules. Some councils will allow 5 days a year without fining. Academic/Independent schools do still have the option to make the decision themselves whether to report or not.

I have taken my kids out of school about 4 times in about 10 years, from 2 to 7 days (the latter because I got my dates wrong when booked the holiday a year in advance), three different schools, and was not fined once.

logician

Of course there was one parent who challenged the fine all the way to the supreme court and lost

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-39504338

Full judgment here:

https://www.supremecourt.uk/cases/docs/uksc-2016-0155-judgment.pdf