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Penalty Notice for Non Attendance

So I know I was lucky to take my kids away on holiday last year Oct 22. This holiday was originally booked 2 years previous but we all know what happened then. So i've got the notice today, why has it taken weeks? The question I have is that they have fined both parents, we're both at the same address married which we were expecting. The penalty notice that is suppose to be for my husband is in my son's name not my husbands. Any advice ?  Do I contact the council ? Ignore it ? 

I've voiced my opinion to the headteacher as I know other parents at the school who have not received fines and go on more than one holiday i term time. I think after the last 3 years we've all had they could just give us a break.
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Comments

  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 35,352 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Savvy Shopper!
    Interesting MSE article here:
    Can you take kids on term-time holidays without being fined? - MSE (moneysavingexpert.com)

    It's the LEA that can fine parents £60 for taking their child on holiday without permission. The fine's per child, per absence (and in theory each parent can be fined, though it varies).

    How many children do you have and how much is each fine?
    Does the total amount of the fine make sense?

    Do not under any circumstances ignore it!
    What if I don't pay the fine? The £60 fine jumps to £120 if you fail to pay within 21 days of the fine being issued. If you don't pay within 28 days you can be taken to magistrates' court under the Education Act 1996. If found guilty you could end up with a criminal record and face a fine of up to £2,500, court costs or even a jail sentence of up to three months.
    Only the LEA can tell you why it's taken weeks to send the fine (I'd say months rather than weeks).
    The fact that one fine is in your son's name may be an admin error. The LEA should be able to confirm.


  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 35,352 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Savvy Shopper!
    RhondaD said:
    Every parent knows the risk of doing this and you must have known what would happen? Unfortunately we can't expect to be given special treatment just because we feel we deserve it.  
    I'm sure the OP knew the penalties.
    If I'd made the same decision, I'd expect to be fined the correct amount in the correct way i.e. in the correct name.

  • sheramber
    sheramber Posts: 20,891 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts I've been Money Tipped! Name Dropper
    Would you not have been fined  anyway if you had taken the holiday at the original time?

    You need to take it up with whoever sent you the  notice. There should be contact details on it.
  • Martin_the_Unjust
    Martin_the_Unjust Posts: 1,039 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper
    edited 19 January 2023 at 7:47AM
    But if you don't nip the absence in the bud, with penalties if appropriate, where does it end? It's really not a question of how bright they are (or not).

    Is it OK to take Johnny out of school for a couple of days? How about a week, or how about a month so that Johnny can see his relatives in Australia?

    Schools and education authorities need to be consistent. It's not as if parents aren't aware of the rules/fines.
    Let’s see how consistent they are when teachers strike!

    Will the LEA be sending each parent £60 because their child missed a days education?
  • Different rules, as you well know.....
  • Different rules, as you well know.....
    ……and it makes a nonsense of the so called reasons for those rules
  • Then lobby your MP to get them changed.
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