• News
  • Life
  • TV & Film
  • Beauty
  • Style
  • Home
  • News
    • Celebrity
    • Entertainment
    • Politics
    • Royal Family
  • Life
    • Animals
    • Food & Drink
    • Women's Health
    • Mental Health
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Travel
    • Real Life
  • TV & Film
    • True Crime
    • Documentaries
    • Netflix
    • BBC
    • ITV
    • Tyla Recommends
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Make-up
    • Skincare
  • Style
    • Home
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
Submit Your Content
Mum ‘fully prepared’ to go to court rather than pay fine for holiday during term time

Home> Life

Published 15:24 16 Jun 2023 GMT+1

Mum ‘fully prepared’ to go to court rather than pay fine for holiday during term time

She took her daughter on holiday the week after the Easter break

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

A mum has said she’s ‘fully prepared’ to go to court after she took her child out of school during term time to go on a family holiday.

The unnamed mum is now facing prosecution after refusing to pay the fine that was given due to the unauthorised absence of her daughter from Howard Community Academy in Bury St Edmunds.

The mum went on a £99 caravan holiday to Skegness with her daughter and parents in the week following the Easter break.

Advert

The woman told Suffolk News that she put in a holiday request form with the school and claims that it wasn’t declined, leading her to believe she could go.

But weeks after they returned home, the single mum was hit with a penalty notice for £60, which has since gone up to £120.

She has now had final notice from the local council telling her it will begin legal proceedings against her.

The 31-year-old told Suffolk News: “I have had the final notice saying if I don’t pay it I will go to court, which I’m fully prepared to do because I didn’t get my decline. Had I known I would have more than likely not taken her.”

Advert

The mum decided to take her child out of school during term time.
Pexels/Pixabay

She went on to say that taking a child on holiday during the school holidays is ‘very expensive’.

“You can see it goes up day by day,” she said. “But when a child’s attendance is so high, it’s really bad they are fining parents.”

According to the school’s policy, dated October 2022, term-time holiday requests have increased and the school says parents should be aware that unless there are exceptional circumstances they will be refused.

Advert

Alison Weir, headteacher of Howard Community Academy, said: “While we understand the importance of family holidays for our pupils’ wellbeing, good attendance is absolutely fundamental to a successful and fulfilling school experience, particularly given the recent loss of time in school during to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Howard Community Academy in Bury St Edmunds.
Google Maps

“Regular attendance at school maximises progress in learning and helps our pupils to reach their full potential.

“Like all schools, we are required to adhere to national attendance regulations and the laws state that headteachers are unable to grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Advert

“The Government is clear that applications for holiday or leave during term time cannot be authorised and to avoid difficulty or disappointment, we ask our parents to refrain from making such requests.

“Working with Education Welfare Officers, we share requests for unauthorised absence with Suffolk County Council, who are responsible for issuing fines and communication to parents.”

Featured Image Credit: Pexels/Pixabay/Google Maps

Topics: Life, Parenting, Travel

Claire Reid
Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at Tyla who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

10 hours ago
11 hours ago
13 hours ago
15 hours ago
  • 10 hours ago

    Doctors warn of dangers of popular eye treatment after patient died by suicide over after-effects

    LASIK surgery sees a special type of cutting laser used to change the shape of the cornea

    Life
  • 11 hours ago

    Girl who released balloon with name and address into the sky stunned after discovering who found it 10 days later

    Talk about a coincidence?!

    Life
  • 13 hours ago

    People only just realising what it means if someone is a ‘friend of Bill’s’

    You may have heard the phrase a few times at an airport...

    Life
  • 15 hours ago

    Tell-tale signs of autism in women after studies reveal it’s less obvious to identify than in men

    Research suggests that autism is more common in boys than in girls

    Life
  • Parents warned over new strict rules about taking kids on holiday that come into force today
  • Severe consequences parents face if they don’t follow strict new rules over taking kids on holiday
  • Mum left furious after school 'rats on her' for taking child on holiday during term-time
  • Mum fined for taking daughter on holiday during term-time says she learnt more abroad