Disabled parents blast school over £240 ‘holiday’ fine after son, 8, missed class to go to HOSPITAL
Mum Sabrina Thompson said the Zetland Primary policy left her 'angry, upset and disappointed' after schoolboy Kai was absent in term time
DISABLED parents slammed their son’s school after being hit with a £240 “holiday” fine when their child missed lessons – to go to hospital.
Sabrina and Jonathan Thompson told Zetland Primary in Redcar their eight-year-old son Kai would miss the morning session of the first day of term as the family were travelling back from a holiday.
But he also needed to skip the afternoon to attend a hospital appointment to have splints fitted to his legs.
While Sabrina accepted this appointment was after school finished at 4pm, she said she and her husband’s disabilities meant extra time was needed to get Kai, who has special educational needs, to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.
Mum-of-four Sabrina, 37, said: “My husband and I have both been fined – we just cannot afford £240.
“We had been to Flamingo Land just before Kai was due back at school, because that’s when it’s classed as low season, the only holiday we could afford.
“I’d been honest and informed the school he would be missing the morning session to travel home – but I don’t accept the afternoon session was a holiday. If I’d lied and said he was ill, we wouldn’t have received this fine.
“I’m angry, upset and disappointed, and I feel since the school became an academy the rules are just about ticking boxes.
“It’s ludicrous to be punished for half a day.”
But Zetland School headteacher Simon English said: “We apply the school attendance policy accurately and submitted the information to the local authority.
“The local authority issued the penalty notice as it met the local authority criteria for the issue of a penalty.
“It is of paramount importance the school works with parents in a supportive manner, and we need to apply policy accurately.”
A Redcar and Cleveland Council spokesman added: “Where a headteacher has taken the decision not to authorise an absence they may make a referral to the council’s attendance and welfare service to issue a penalty notice.
“The information contained within the referral is assessed against the school’s policy.
“If it appears from this information that the policy has been properly applied then the council will issue the Penalty Notice.
“We are unable to release personal information related to individual referrals but, in this case, the information provided supported the school’s request for a penalty notice to be issued.”
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