Some of this information is incorrect.
If you are to be offered a fixed penalty (or a speed awareness course) you do not get a summons. You are served with a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) and a conditional offer of a fixed penalty (FPO). The NIP is to satisfy the law so that if you are eventually prosecuted (by way of a court hearing) you have been served with the notice of that intention. The prosecuting authority has 14 days to provide you with a NIP. They must post it to you so that in normal circumstances it would arrive within 14 days of the alleged offence.
The NIP and the FPO is sent to the registered keeper. Upon receipt he can do one of three things:
1. If he was the driver, accept the FPO and return the paperwork with his licence and £60.
2. If he was not the driver, return the paperwork providing the driver’s details.
3. Decline the offer of a fixed penalty and ask for the matter to be heard in court. He will, in due course, be summonsed for speeding. The prosecution authority has sx months to do this.
He has 28 days to do one of the three options above. If he does none of them within the timescale this will result in a summons, not for speeding, but under section 172 of the Road Traffic Act - “Failure to provide driver’s details”. The prosecuting authority has six months to do this.
If you do get a NIP and FPO it is unlikely that you will have sufficient time to send in your licence and have it returned for your hols but you may, depending when it is received and when you are returning from holiday, have time to return the paperwork with one of your three options. Beware if you take this course as you will receive no further communication about the matter after the 28 days has elapsed. The next thing you will get is a S172 summons and that will probably be sent very close to the six month deadline.