Fines for School Holidays

[tips]

Fines for School Holidays

Our Kids both generally have 100% School Attendance records and are high achievers. We checked if they would be having any exams or the likes in the 2 weeks prior to them breaking up for the Summer Hols next July, which they don't. So we have booked a ferry crossing to Spain for the Motorhome based on the presumption it wouldn't be an issue.

We applied for 2 weeks School Leave / Holiday to take them out early and we have just had a phone call from the School to say it isn't allowed, and that we will be fined £60 per child, per parent. Thus we will be fined £240, which I suppose isn't the end of the world, but it does boil my piss that it isn't done on an individual basis with some common sense applied (apparently this rule has only been enforced from this year, and it is a carte blanche ban on even a single days holiday not being granted).

It is more annoying because it is the same time that one of our kids would have been going to Germany for a week as a School Trip, so she wouldn't have been in School anyway (we were taking her to Spain which is one of the languages she is learning, and it isn't a package holiday, we tour the country and get to see a bit of culture).

Have any of you experience of being fined or know any ways around it?

[chesser]

I sympathise with you mate, ultimately it's money making exercise to make up for the shortfall from LEA's. It's the good parents that will suffer, the parents like yourselves that ensure nothing important is going on before you make that decision, the scroats who won't care when it is and who will go to somewhere like Benidorm for Fosters, John Smiths and a full English every morning and don't give a flying fuck won't pay, unfortunately a bit like us trying to educate your children with different cultures and languages but ultimately made to pay. Make my blood boil too, fuck them anyway it's still cheaper to take them out and pay the fine.

[tips]

Make my blood boil too, fuck them anyway it's still cheaper to take them out and pay the fine.

Unfortunately, that currently looks like our only option unless someone else can advise to the contrary.

Edit: Just to carify, the School have just rang us back requesting we go in so they can explain the situation. They explained it is the LEA that send the fine, and the fine is only incurred for consecutive absences of more than 9 days, but no holidays (not even 1 day) are granted.

[QfanatiQ]

Not anyway around it as far as I am aware. I dont understand why the travel agent companies do not turn this on its head. Make the quiet times a premium and the busy mass family times cheaper. Win win then I think. I'd pay more for quiet.

Q

[keyser666]

I had heard that some people are calling in their children sick for 4-5 days instead to try and get around this. The other is to speak to the head, they tell you they dont have the authority but they do to approve this.

[muttleymacclad]

We're in exactly the same boat tips.

Our son is 12 and we've never taken him out of school for holidays but this year we really wanted to take him to Florida (normal holiday for us is France or Cornwall).

We've requested 3 days either side of the May half term and been told to forget it by the school. Pisses me off no end, we know he doesn't have SAT's or exams etc. Why the hell is it we can work our balls off all year and try to save a grand by going a few days earlier and we're treated like chav scum who don't give a toss about education for the kids.
MML

[Goldberg]

I would go the 'sickness' route, but it will be a matter of hours once they return to school that the head will find out and action will be taken.
You are never going to be able to silence the child about the holiday..

This is terrible really but then again I guess you could say the same thing with Childcare. If your child is ill and cannot attend then you still have to pay the Nursery/Child Minder regardless. Same if you get a day off work and want to spend it at home with the child.

I imagine the fine is considerably less however than the difference in price of taking them during term time compared to half term.

[keyser666]

Apparently if you can prove your leave can only be taken in those times you have booked ie term time then this will be deemed exceptional circumstances and you cna get it off, is that acheivable?

[QfanatiQ]

Apparently if you can prove your leave can only be taken in those times you have booked ie term time then this will be deemed exceptional circumstances and you cna get it off, is that acheivable?

I doubt it as just because you are on leave, does not mean you need to take your kids out of education.

Its a farse, holidays offer different learning experiences. I remember being out of school (primary) for two weeks and my mother going in, getting work to be covered and having to study. Why cant this be done! They still lesson plan and have targets/achievements don't they.

This is a stupid fine, I wont be effected for some years, but even before we had our little one I was against this.

Q

[Zoots]

Happily admit to ringing my kids in sick for two days. School knew what we were doing too. Most of the teachers have their own kids and appreciate this is all bullshit and nothing more than a cash scheme for the LEA. Fuck them.

[Mule]

The fines should be paid out as compensation to people who have to sit next to children on planes.

[Zoots]

Are you CJ's cover for today, Mule?

[Over Carl]

I can see this two ways:

First angle: Fuck the fine. If it's the LEA and not the school invoicing you, then I'm guessing if you don't pay it's a matter between you and the LEA rather than you and the School. Would be worth looking up whether there is any relevant legislation as I'm thinking you may as well tell the LEA as you have not agreed to these terms and conditions and no contract exists they can stick their demand where the sun doesn't shine.

The other angle: I think it's pretty accepted that kids shouldn't be playing truant, and I've lost count of how many times I hear people complain about lack of parental responsibility. Despite the fact that this trip is planned so it isn't during exam time, if it is during term time it is basically kids being made to play truant by their parents, and I think that can even land parents in court so you could consider you are getting off very easy with a small fine.

[ZX7R]

I'm not a teacher but I am well aware that a pupil's daily education is planned meticulously. If a pupil misses time at school then this can potentially put them behind the rest of the class and put them at a disadvantage come SATs/tests/etc.

The teacher needs to teach the whole class at a planned pace - can you imagine the chaos if random pupils took different days/dates off during term time? They'd all be out of sync and there just isn't enough staff and time in the year to sit with those kids to help them catch-up.

If your kids are taken out of school during term time and the school gets a poor Ofsted (due to results) or your kid doesn't achieve well, then just don't go blaming the school and/or teachers.

I have heard plenty of stories about families using the sickness excuse. The kids come back to class and confess (unwittingly) anyway. Lol. Hopefully parents wouldn't encourage their kids to lie to adults at primary age anyway.

The whole doubling of holiday prices during holidays pisses me off too. I suffer.
The travel industry needs to be slapped or moaned at.

[Rhinoz]

Why the hell do all schools have to have the same or similar school holidays anyway ?

Ok so you might have 3 kids, 2 in 1 school and 1 in another therefore it would make sense to have say south/north/east/west England schools take their holidays at different dates and therefore not clog up airports and holiday destinations thus keeping the prices more level across the year.

[satzzz]

Next time the teachers go on strike or have a 'teacher training day' just bill them for the same amount stating that your kids were ready to attend but that 'they' the teachers are refusing to teach your kids and that the 'fine' is to cover you taking the day off and expenses to keep them at home!!

[macmilm]

Councils vary on how they handle this..
I had the same thing from Suffolk council over my kids missing 10 days of school... again no exams or anything crucial at the time...
They handed me a fine.. I politely told them I absolutely would not be paying a penny of it and have never heard a thing since...
My council started enforcing this last year.

[Geko]

Is it a definite fine. We got threatened the same for taking my son out of school. Even though his attendance record was 100% and he is a high achiever. They didn't actually do it.

[rookie]

I think its all to do with schools attendance records etc and targets set by the local.authority. were in the process of writing a letter as the other day teachers decided to strike. Now the cunts are going to be jnvoiced for a.days childcare

[super mike]

What happens if you just don't pay it?