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Soar Fox

Term-Time Holiday

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Posted

Shocker, talk about double standards. Whoever sanctioned her holiday has not been clever at all.

 

The board of governors apparently. Be interesting to know the ethnic mix on that board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just sayin', like... :ph34r:

  • 1 year later...
Posted

More than 8,000 fines given to Leicester parents for taking kids on term-time holidays

By danjmartin  |  Posted: July 16, 2015

Thousands of Leicester parents have been fined for pulling their children out of school in term time to go on holiday, it has been revealed.

Figures released by Leicester City Council show more than 8,000 penalties have been issued after children were taken on holiday or on leaves of absence without headteachers' authorisation.

The £60 fines have been given out in the past three school years and have generated more than £370,000.

The council says parents are taking children out of classes in term time because it saves them hundreds of pounds when booking holiday.

 

Poll: Should parents be fined for taking their children on term time holidays?

The price of vacations tends to rise during school holidays.However education bosses say pulling children out can serious affect their success in the classroom.

The director of learning services at the city council Jane Winterbone said: "It might seem to parents that they are not doing any harm by taking their children out of school for a holiday, but unfortunately that isn't the case.

"We know that such absences can have a big impact on pupils' attainment.

"For example, pupils leaving school before the end of term this summer could miss out on vital planning work for the start of the next academic year, and SATs and exam results can be affected by poor attendance."

She added: " A child who attends for 90 per cent of the time actually misses half a day of school every week.

"We work hard with both schools and parents to reinforce this message and help ensure that pupils get the most out of their education."

Some parents are understood to have "taken the hit" of a fine given the greater savings they can make on their holidays.

Others simply have not bothered to pay.

However the council says parents taking this approach risk getting a criminal record. It has prosecuted 440 cases where the parents did not pay their fines.

There were 2,728 fines in 2012/13, 2,732 in 2013/14 but the number rose last year to 3,143.

The council says the increase was a result of the Government tightening up the rules on term-time absences from September.

A council spokeswoman said: "The 2014/15 figure is higher because previously, some schools had exercised discretion. But now, more of them are taking the approach the Government intended, which is not to allow absences from school for holidays and trips unless there are exceptional circumstances."

The money collected is spent on administering the system as well as covering court costs for prosecutions.

Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/8-000-fines-given-Leicester-parents-taking-kids/story-26908823-detail/story.html#ixzz3g2utzUNW 
Follow us: @Leicester_Merc on Twitter | leicestermercury on Facebook

Posted

Oh dear, the little perishers will shortly be released, to reap more havoc.  :surrender:

Already off here.

Posted

Already off here.

I'm trying to avoid driving through Syston town centre (where Wilko's is), as kids pop out of nowhere onto the side of the road.

Posted

A bloke I work with was fined £240.

He saved just shy of £700 by taking his kids out a month early, take away the fine he paid and it was a total saving of £460. He said its worth it and will be doing the same again next year.

Posted

Not sure where the belief of children not doing much in the last week has come from. It isn't the 90s anymore. In all the schools I have ever worked in, we have done work up to the last day.

As for a week won't hurt. You would be suprised how much they miss. The new curriculum is vast and we have to rattle through so much in a year. One child was excused for a 2 week wedding this year. He came back with a lazy attitude and he had missed so much that I had to ask a TA to catch him up in his own time.

I agree that it's terrible the way prices rocket, but children cant afford to miss important lessons.

Maybe as a teacher I should take the last week offtoo. As apparently my role isn't justified in the last week.

Posted

A bloke I work with was fined £240.

He saved just shy of £700 by taking his kids out a month early, take away the fine he paid and it was a total saving of £460. He said its worth it and will be doing the same again next year.

Repeated abuse of the system can trigger social workers getting involved and questioning why such parents think it's more important for a cheap holiday over their child's wellbeing and learning. Not fair in my opinion but thought I would highlight that to you to tell your friend.

Posted

Repeated abuse of the system can trigger social workers getting involved and questioning why such parents think it's more important for a cheap holiday over their child's wellbeing and learning. Not fair in my opinion but thought I would highlight that to you to tell your friend.

maybe instead of fining parents, the school could send the parents the work they missed and we could work on it during the summer holidays. Why is it always a fine, ban or some disciplinary the first thought of change?

Also I love how it's been automatically decided that the reason for non term time holidays is because it's cheaper. Everyone where I work tries to book Easter, Xmas and throughout the summer and it can be hard just to get a big block off. If my wife also had to do the same and get the same week off, I imagine it could be quite difficult.

Posted

Now my children have left school, I think it is terrible that parents take their kids out of school, fines should be double or even more. Perhaps a ban on the airlines carrying kids on planes during term time would allow me cheaper flights, less packed and no screaming brats spoiling my G&T on flights

Posted

Imagine the uproar if all teachers with children took the last week off to get a cheaper holiday!!?

Yes my Mrs is a teacher AND we have our daughter in School.

NO we wouldn't take that option.

Posted

Not sure where the belief of children not doing much in the last week has come from. It isn't the 90s anymore. In all the schools I have ever worked in, we have done work up to the last day.

As for a week won't hurt. You would be suprised how much they miss. The new curriculum is vast and we have to rattle through so much in a year. One child was excused for a 2 week wedding this year. He came back with a lazy attitude and he had missed so much that I had to ask a TA to catch him up in his own time.

I agree that it's terrible the way prices rocket, but children cant afford to miss important lessons.

Maybe as a teacher I should take the last week offtoo. As apparently my role isn't justified in the last week.

Maybe you could take a month of like the headteacher at Little Hill school did to get married.

Posted

The last week of term isn't particularly worthwhile anyway, even more so in primary schools, last week my brother just watched films all week

Posted

The last week of term isn't particularly worthwhile anyway, even more so in primary schools, last week my brother just watched films all week

 

Really?! So, working on the basis that they could easily fit in 3 films a day, your brother watched 15 films at school last week? Seriously? 

 

Skeptical. 

Posted

Imagine the uproar if all teachers with children took the last week off to get a cheaper holiday!!?

Yes my Mrs is a teacher AND we have our daughter in School.

NO we wouldn't take that option.

How is that comparable, if your mrs took time of outside of holidays that would be for a sickness absence or AWOL. It's funny how the teachers are not so worried about kids missing education when they go striking.
Posted

maybe instead of fining parents, the school could send the parents the work they missed and we could work on it during the summer holidays. Why is it always a fine, ban or some disciplinary the first thought of change?

Also I love how it's been automatically decided that the reason for non term time holidays is because it's cheaper. Everyone where I work tries to book Easter, Xmas and throughout the summer and it can be hard just to get a big block off. If my wife also had to do the same and get the same week off, I imagine it could be quite difficult.

I cant really see a kid willing to do school work whilst on holiday. And why just at the holiday. Children should be learning all the time and the parent should be willing to try and answer the many questions kids ask when growing up.

Posted

How is that comparable, if your mrs took time of outside of holidays that would be for a sickness absence or AWOL. It's funny how the teachers are not so worried about kids missing education when they go striking.

How often do teachers go striking then?

As parents(who happen to be teachers) why can't THEY too take term time holidays to save money? (There is a reason but as you seem to have all the answers I'll let you answer it for me!!!)

Posted

How often do teachers go striking then?

As parents(who happen to be teachers) why can't THEY too take term time holidays to save money? (There is a reason but as you seem to have all the answers I'll let you answer it for me!!!)

 

Can't say I recall teachers striking for a week or fortnight at a time. Did I miss it? Damn, I'd have taken the opportunity to book a cheap holiday. :D

Posted

I cant really see a kid willing to do school work whilst on holiday. And why just at the holiday. Children should be learning all the time and the parent should be willing to try and answer the many questions kids ask when growing up.

A bit of a contradiction, you can't see them being willing, yet they should do it all the time?

How often do teachers go striking then?

As parents(who happen to be teachers) why can't THEY too take term time holidays to save money? (There is a reason but as you seem to have all the answers I'll let you answer it for me!!!)

Because it's not in their contract of employment.

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