Dad fined £360 for term-time holiday sends bill to school's striking teachers

A furious dad who was fined £360 for taking his kids on holiday in term time has sent the bill to the school's striking teachers.

Any families will be well aware it is massively cheaper to go on holiday in term-time rather than waiting for the school holidays.

But for many, taking their kids out of school will risk a fine - something Wesley Joyce, 42, knows all about.

He and wife Stacey, 34, took their son Jai-Jai, 15, and daughters Cleo, 13, and Hallie, five, to Turkey for a ten-day all-inclusive break last month during the school term.

The holiday cost £7,000, with Wesley claiming the same break would have cost up to £12,000 in the school holidays.

But when the family returned home to Worcester, they were met with a letter stating they had been handed a £360 fine.

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But Wesley responded by posting a letter to his children's two schools suggesting that striking teachers should be fined for refusing to work.

Addressing the teachers, Wesley noted he wasn't able to 'grant you the ability to strike' and their absence will be 'noted as pathetic'.

Discussing the whole experience, Wesley said: "The holiday came to £7,000 with seven people all inclusive. If I went in the summer holidays it was £12,000 that’s a difference of £5,000.

“We just couldn’t afford that and why should we. The memories of a family holiday will live with them forever.

"We left on the 8th of June, came back on the 22nd of June and there was a letter on the doorstep.

"About a month before, just as they had their 13th day of strike action assuming it wouldn’t be an issue as they've done it.

“It's beyond belief. Does it matter what day you’re studying. It doesn’t matter in the summer holidays."

Wesley went on to claim his son has attended school in recent weeks only for teachers to be on strike, leaving the kids watching films all day instead.

"It baffles me how they need all that time. It's not about how much they get paid or not," Wesley continued.

"You want me to pay over £700 because I took my kids out of school, but when they got back there were one training day and then two strike days the week after."

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Wesley continued by saying teachers knew what to expect when going into the sector and that strikes are not necessary.

"They're in the position of who are you to fine us. You can’t fine us. Teachers know the conditions and pay scale, so why do they strike," he said.

Wesley approached his children's schools - Tudor Grange Primary Academy Perdiswell and Christopher Whitehead Language College - asking for authorised absence but both refused.

Neil Morris, headteacher of Christopher Whitehead Language College, said: "Mr Joyce may be fined for taking his child out for 10 days. The child will have crucial exams in 32 weeks."

Meanwhile, Tudor Grange Primary Academy Perdiswell refused to comment.