Got approved leave from school

[Joanne UK]

I know the education systems and authorities are different in Scotland. So I'm interested in experiences of our English neighbours regarding these fines
Are they legal and can they be enforced? What happens if you ignore the bill?

I don't know is the short answer!

The letter came from the LEA not from the school itself so I presume it's a countywide ruling. I haven't got it anymore - it was last year that we received it. It seems to have worked re not so many children being taken out of school during term time though.

 

[jjk]

glad you got approval

 

[madmumof2]

I asked for approval as soon as I booked this Octobers holiday (August last year) and although I did get a letter signed saying it was fine, they asked me to come back and ask again to get a new letter in September time as they didn't have their registers/dates etc sorted then.

Cameron has had quite a bit of time off school this term (caught every bug going, car wouldn't start when it was snowing etc) so they might not like it now, but he'll be going next term so his record will be clean again.

Plus I already have a signed letter from last year saying he can go, so there's nothing they can do now anyway! lol

I agree, life is about learning, you learn something new everyday, it's certainly not limited to the classroom.

 

[Trilli-magic]

Glad you were able to get approval!!
I didn't know it was so hard getting time off school!! what happened to a note lol!
So what happens if you take the time off without it being approved - you just get a fine?

 

[dizzyredhead83]

I think the whole getting approval is rather silly. I can understand at seniors level but children in infant and juniors need to have some fun and be children and Disney is the best place for it! I would just pay the fine

 

[hildasmuriel]

I know the education systems and authorities are different in Scotland. So I'm interested in experiences of our English neighbours regarding these fines
Are they legal and can they be enforced? What happens if you ignore the bill?

Like a parking fine - it is doubled if you do not pay within so many days. It is £50 per child per parent, but this doubles after (I think) 42 days, after which it will be taken to court and then you could face court fees as well.

Yes it is legal and yes it is enforceable. I live in an area where large numbers of children are not of British heritage and some families take long holidays back in their 'own' country. Requests for 6 or 7 weeks off school are not unusual. The Local Authority has had to bring in a pretty rigid system to cope with this - it recommends no more than ten days term time leave during the whole of primary school and only ten days during secondary school. Children are also taken off roll when they are absent too long. In practise this can be done when a child has as little as eleven days unauthorised leave in one block.

For those thinking of calling in sick for a fortnight (or more) holiday - this can also cause future problems. For starters your child has to lie, because any teacher would ask a child how they were when they returned after a long illness. Secondly, the school will probably phone you if your child is away for more than a few days - if there is no reply after a few attempts the Attendance Service may visit your home. If they suspect that parents are not truthful about a child's illness they can insist they you provide medical evidence of that and any subsequent illness. So every time in future that your child has a cold, cough, upset stomach, you will need to show a GPs note, or prescription to avoid the absence being unauthorised.

The bottom line is that if you choose state education you are required by law to send your child to school regularly. If your Local Authority has very strong rules about what constitutes 'regular' attendance then there is little you can do about it.

 

[fizz13]

Just wanted to say thats fab you got premission, must be a weight of your mind, just one of those little worries you can put to one side now.My boys' school are actually really good about holidays, they state that we are allowed the two weeks as long as we fill in the consent form in plenty of time and on the term dates they specify when SATs etc are and ask no holidays are taken within these dates, so all round amicable. My daughters school on the other hand can be downright mean, there was a case where two girls were denied permission for a family funeral, ok it happened to be in italy, but the mum had to bring in proof it was actually a funeral and ultimately they left the school through the total unsympathetic management. having said that it could be a personal thing i think, i have a good relationship with the school and twice they have given me permission to take her out for disney holdiays but these were always attached to school holidays, so it worked out as 1 week off instead of two. and when she was younger admitedly. i cant see them giving permission now she is year 5 and next year forget about it
but ultimately i think holdiays can be a wonderful enrichment of a childs life, and you can do some fab educational things at disney, we kept diaries so they had to write a little bit each day, we did a country quiz round world showcase, there is so much to be gained!
i wish you a wonderful trip

 

[Ware Bears]

Great news you got approval.

 

[The Fetherstons]

Gladd you got your approval.

I have put DS holiday request in and have to attend a meeting with the HT to give reasons why we are taking him etc.

We only need to take him out for 4 days as its on the end of the summer holidays

 

[wishspirit]

How do you become Minister for Education these days???

Seriously, they need a kick up the backside! I want to become a teacher, but these kind of rules and fines!!!

I understand not wanting to have kids having months off at a time, however a week or so every couple of years isn't gonna kill them, even in secondary school in my opinion!

This is all about the schools wanting to look good, rather than educational experience of the child.

I worry about the way this country is going!