Question Author
Thanks for that. I appreciate the help and advice.
Would you please mind helping me to understand something, whilst I have you.
The letter says "Under Section 444(A) of The Education Act 1996, the local authority may issue penalty notices to parents of children with 5 unauthorised absences from the school".
I can see no mention of this on the education act, nor on my local councils website.
I have looked at the school's policy document regarding this and it says:
"Accumulated unauthorised absences of 10 sessions may result in a Fixed
Penalty Fine issued directly from ***** Council.
N.B. 2 sessions = 1 day"
When I spoke to the Education Welfare Officer, he told me that even if she did mark our holiday as unauthorised my child would still not have enough absences for them to issue a fine. Since I've just read this, I now remember he did actually say it had to be ten unauthorised absences, not the 5 I mentioned above.
I can't think straight at the moment and can't work out, from the info taken from the letter and policy document, who is right/wrong.
If I am wrong then I will accept that, but I can't see how it equates to 5 unathorised absences, let alone ten sessions.
I work it out as 8 sessions?