Penalty Notice for Non Attendance

RhondaD

Pollycat said:

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.

It seems quite obvious the name was a simple mistake. It's the fact OP goes on to say that she thinks she should be given a break and imply that she should not have to pay it because we've all had such a difficult couple of years that is a tad unreasonable. When we take kids out of school in term time we know there's a good chance there will be a fine. None of us are above that no matter how special and entitled we consider ourselves.

Pollycat

RhondaD said:

Pollycat said:

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.

It seems quite obvious the name was a simple mistake. It's the fact OP goes on to say that she thinks she should be given a break and imply that she should not have to pay it because we've all had such a difficult couple of years that is a tad unreasonable. When we take kids out of school in term time we know there's a good chance there will be a fine. None of us are above that no matter how special and entitled we consider ourselves.

They've fined both parents.
The link to the MSE article says LEA's can do this but "it varies".

If I was the OP (who is a newbie, BTW) I'd want to make sure the fines were correct rather than simply making an assumption.
If they have got the name wrong on one fine, it's possible they've made other mistakes.

ZaSa1418

Check out the education section on your council's website and see their policies, majority say they have up to 6 months to fine. 
They can also be withdrawn if there are errors on the fine. 

sheramber

MalMonroe said:

Does anyone else feel like we're living in a police state - or at the very least heading that way?! 

What absolute nonsense this all is and it's about time it was stopped. 

No child is suddenly going to become dumb and dim because they miss a couple of weeks of school. 

What on earth is the point of fining people?

My daughter's friend home-schooled her children and they are just as bright as any other child in the country. One of them was offered a place in college last year. He didn't taken any GCSEs but is keeping up with all those in his class who did. He has a very enquiring mind and he and his brother were able to take holidays with their parents whenever was convenient for them all.

Children really don't need regimented, army-like schooling, they are learning all the time, as are we all. But we've all been brainwashed to think that children must go to school or they won't learn. It simply isn't true. 

I'd at least have a go at fighting these silly charges.

Home schooling is quite acceptable but very different from disrupting a whole class because your child missed lessons. The teacher is required to  provide the missed lesson to that one child when they return.

Imagine 30 kids all having a week off during the school year. The teacher would never get any new work done.

if you don't want to send your child to school then do it properly and home school.

Education Act 1996, section 444: offence - Legislation.gov.uk

https://www.legislation.gov.uk › ukpga › section › 444

(1)If a child of compulsory school age who is a registered pupil at a school fails to attend regularly at the school, his parent is guilty of an offence

MobileSaver

MalMonroe said:

No child is suddenly going to become dumb and dim because they miss a couple of weeks of school. ...  he and his brother were able to take holidays with their parents whenever was convenient for them all.

What great parenting, teach your kids they can do whatever they want, whenever they want; don't worry about following the rules, just do whatever is most convenient for you and everyone else be damned.

Oh and when you get penalised for knowingly breaking the rules make sure you complain bitterly about how unfair everything is while trying to weasel out of it.

I really do despair at the sense of entitlement that pervades some sections of society these days.

Spendless

They do 'fine' both parents. The amount is £60 per parent per child, so £120 for 1 child. This amount goes up after a few weeks. Unless you have specific circumstances then there is no 'get out' clause. How old is your child though? Education is only compulsory the term after child's 5th birthday, so if they were still 4 or just turned 5 at your October holiday then you can get this overturned and then not compulsory after the last Friday in June of yr11 in the academic year the child reaches 16. So if you're talking about a sixth former also could be overturned. . If not pay it, otherwise the amount will go up, costs escalate and some parents have ended up with a criminal record over it - I used to be on a forum about it.  

I can't remember now how long the LA has to issue the penalty notice, 6 months comes to mind, but I might be wrong and it's less .If they're out of time, you also had grounds for not paying - however the pandemic might have altered all that. If you're on SM I'd look at a group that discusses this

CurlySue2017

MalMonroe said:

Does anyone else feel like we're living in a police state - or at the very least heading that way?! 

What absolute nonsense this all is and it's about time it was stopped. 

No child is suddenly going to become dumb and dim because they miss a couple of weeks of school. 

What on earth is the point of fining people?

My daughter's friend home-schooled her children and they are just as bright as any other child in the country. One of them was offered a place in college last year. He didn't taken any GCSEs but is keeping up with all those in his class who did. He has a very enquiring mind and he and his brother were able to take holidays with their parents whenever was convenient for them all.

Children really don't need regimented, army-like schooling, they are learning all the time, as are we all. But we've all been brainwashed to think that children must go to school or they won't learn. It simply isn't true. 

I'd at least have a go at fighting these silly charges.

Agreed!  When I was at school (which was quite a few years ago granted!) you could go on holiday in term time, in fact it was pretty standard practice.  And we turned out ok in the end, it did our overall education no harm at all.  Mind you back then they weren't making primary age children sit exams either so.......

sheramber

CurlySue2017 said:

MalMonroe said:

Does anyone else feel like we're living in a police state - or at the very least heading that way?! 

What absolute nonsense this all is and it's about time it was stopped. 

No child is suddenly going to become dumb and dim because they miss a couple of weeks of school. 

What on earth is the point of fining people?

My daughter's friend home-schooled her children and they are just as bright as any other child in the country. One of them was offered a place in college last year. He didn't taken any GCSEs but is keeping up with all those in his class who did. He has a very enquiring mind and he and his brother were able to take holidays with their parents whenever was convenient for them all.

Children really don't need regimented, army-like schooling, they are learning all the time, as are we all. But we've all been brainwashed to think that children must go to school or they won't learn. It simply isn't true. 

I'd at least have a go at fighting these silly charges.

Agreed!  When I was at school (which was quite a few years ago granted!) you could go on holiday in term time, in fact it was pretty standard practice.  And we turned out ok in the end, it did our overall education no harm at all.  Mind you back then they weren't making primary age children sit exams either so.......

Then were the days of the Attendance Officer who visited  the homes of children who  were absent without a good reason.

sheramber

https://www.gov.uk/school-attendance-absence/legal-action-to-enforce-school-attendance

diystarter7

MalMonroe said:

Does anyone else feel like we're living in a police state - or at the very least heading that way?! 

What absolute nonsense this all is and it's about time it was stopped. 

No child is suddenly going to become dumb and dim because they miss a couple of weeks of school. 

What on earth is the point of fining people?

My daughter's friend home-schooled her children and they are just as bright as any other child in the country. One of them was offered a place in college last year. He didn't taken any GCSEs but is keeping up with all those in his class who did. He has a very enquiring mind and he and his brother were able to take holidays with their parents whenever was convenient for them all.

Children really don't need regimented, army-like schooling, they are learning all the time, as are we all. But we've all been brainwashed to think that children must go to school or they won't learn. It simply isn't true. 

I'd at least have a go at fighting these silly charges.

Hi

A few months ago I would have disagreed with you.
However, teachers stikes a possibility, one of our grandkid's schools taking an extra week off for their 'health an social well-being' i think waht i was told made me angry. All of our grandkids have at least 3 extra after-school inerests and they are all unde the age of 10, stuff like painting, music, gymnastics, football, etc and home tution privately once a week to keep them a step ahead of the rest

(When i worked, TBH, I had a fair amount of hols 36 days + Beank Hols, plus over average at least 2 days flexi a month - seems like a fair amount but you get used to it and I would always dow with another 2 weeks off - btw I was not a teacher.


IMO, all parents should be allowed to take up to extra two weeks from school term should they wish  ideally for hols/visitign family etc that live some distance - they don't have to but the option is there but this time off not to be taken during exams periods etc

The highlighted bit, I can see one of the tabloids making this their own idea, lol.

Thanks