I love taking my 10-year-old out of school for beach days… mums say I’m setting a bad example but I’ll pay any fine
A MUM has told how she regularly takes her daughter out of school for beach days despite being slammed by other mums as setting a bad example.
The anonymous mum admitted that she also happily pays any fine that comes her way as she doesn’t want her ten-year-old daughter Olivia to miss out on rare sunny days.
The mum said taking her daughter to the beach is actually a life lesson, teaching her “how to be a happier, more self-assertive person”.
She told the MailOnline: “One of the reasons I do this is to show Olivia that breaking the rules is not always a bad thing.”
She said this “mummy and me” time together is invaluable to their relationship and for her daughter’s ability to reject authority, despite the glaring looks from other mums.
She told how a mum of her daughter Olivia’s friend gave her a disapproving stare when she found out.
Even her own mum, she admitted, would be horrified at the idea that she was taking Olivia out of school for these trips.
While she feels her mum would accuse her of being selfish, it doesn’t faze her because she claims she’s putting her daughter and herself first.
She also claimed most girls at school are being “socialised to obey the rules” in a way that boys are not, adding that it can lead to perfectionism, which she slammed as a “curse”.
The mum continued: “I don’t want her to grow up a people-pleasing young woman who never puts herself first.
“I know I am setting a bad example – that is the very point.
“By taking my daughter out of school when I feel like it, I am instilling a lack of respect for the institution of school in general.
The rule-breaking mum took aim at “bureaucratic government targets”, with their attendance goals and desire to “push kids through tests.”
In her own creative career, she described herself as still being a rule-breaker, and she wants Olivia to know that it’s okay to break the rules too.
By taking this more liberal approach to schooling, Olivia and her mum have been able to visit museums, beaches, and lidos on weekdays when they are far “quieter” than the weekends.
The mum also highlighted how “society needs creative thinkers” as well as those who follow the rules.
Rules on school attendance and absence
Local councils and schools can use various legal powers if your child is missing school without a good reason. They can give you a Parenting Order, an Education Supervision Order, a School Attendance Order, or a fine (sometimes known as a ‘penalty notice’).
Parenting Order
This means you have to go to parenting classes. You’ll also have to do what the court says to improve your child’s school attendance.
Education Supervision Order
If the council thinks you need support getting your child to go to school but you’re not co-operating, they can apply to a court for an Education Supervision Order.
A supervisor will be appointed to help you get your child into education. The local council can do this instead of prosecuting you, or as well.
School Attendance Order
You’ll get a School Attendance Order if the local council thinks your child is not getting an education.
You have 15 days to provide evidence that you’ve registered your child with the school listed in the order or that you’re giving them home education. If you do not, you could be prosecuted or given a fine.
Fine
Your local council can give each parent a fine of £80, rising to £160 if you do not pay within 21 days.
From the 2024 to 2025 school year, each parent will only get up to 2 fines for the same child in a 3-year period.
If you get a second fine in 3 years it will be £160. If you do not pay the fine in 28 days you may be taken to court for keeping your child out of school.
If your child is off school 3 or more times within the 3 years you will not be fined but may be taken to court.
Check your local council’s rules on when you can be fined and how to pay a fine.
If you’re taken to court
You could get a fine of up to £2,500, a community order or a jail sentence up to 3 months. The court could also give you a Parenting Order.
By exposing her to these rule breaking ways, Olivia’s mum hopes to teach her child to prioritise her mental and physical well-being when going through life.
This comes as Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson vowed to crack down on what she calls an “absence epidemic” in schools.
Last month, fines for families whose children miss five days of school rose to £160 as part of plans initiated by the last government.
A month before that, one mum had expressed her fury after being hit with a £480 fine for taking her children out of school for a holiday.
In June, a mum-of-two revealed her anger at learning she could be charged up to £5k and have to go to court for removing her children from school during term time.