Parents warned over holidays

4:54pm Sunday 3rd August 2008

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NEW guidelines on truancy will mean parents could be fined if they take children on holiday in term time.

Wiltshire County Council has been issuing truancy penalty notices since May 2006 but until now holidays taken in term time have not been considered as unauthorised absence. This is no longer the case.

Under the council's truancy code of conduct if a student has five days of unauthorised absence in six months the parents will be hit with a penalty of £50, which has to be paid within 28 days.

If the fine is not paid within this period the figure will rise to £100. If after 42 days the penalty has not been paid, legal proceedings will be taken against the parents through the magistrates' court.

Wiltshire County Council spokesman Matthew Woolford said: "Our aim is to ensure that pupil absence from school is kept to a minimum and that parents understand that everyday missed matters.

"It also helps to give parents piece of mind, knowing where their children are and that they are safe.

"We want each pupil to achieve to their full potential and the best chance they have of doing this is by attending regularly at school."

He added: "We are providing advice to schools, which mirrors Government guidance that they can only agree to absence for a family holiday in term time if they believe there are special circumstances which warrant it.

"Similarly, schools can only agree to absence of more than 10 school days in a school year if they believe there are exceptional circumstances.

"If parents do not apply for the leave of absence in advance of taking it, or the school does not agree the leave of absence or the child is kept away from school for longer than was agreed, the pupil must be recorded as having unauthorised absence."

Schools have been advised that each holiday absence should be considered individually taking into account the potential negative impact the absence could have on a child's academic progress.

The new guidelines will come into force from September.