A mother facing court after taking her children out of school for a two-week term-time holiday has insisted the holiday was “educational in a way that school cannot offer”.
Leah Hilton, 33, and Hayden Harrop, 30, took their two children, aged six and three, to Cyprus for 15 days in June 2023 for a family wedding despite only having permission from school during the first three days.
Hilton says her partner was fined £60 when they returned to their home in Gosport, Hampshire, which they paid, assuming that was the end of it.
However, the school says it sent two fines, one to each parent, and that Hilton never paid her share.
She says the school promised to investigate and contact her, but assumed the matter was resolved when she received no response.
Leah Hilton, 33, and Hayden Harrop, 30, took their two children, aged six and three, to Cyprus for 15 days in June 2023 for a family wedding despite only having permission from school during the first three days.
Hilton says her partner was fined £60 when they returned to their home in Gosport, Hampshire, which they paid, assuming that was the end of it.
The mother-of-two will now be taken to court after failing to pay the £60 fine despite claiming she failed to turn up.
Mrs Hilton said: ‘How can I pay a fine I never knew I should get? How is that possible?’
He added: “Hayden and I had a conversation about taking them out of school and we agreed that it would be beneficial for Mason to take him out of school to have experiences abroad.”
‘The tickets for the holiday were non-refundable and had already been booked and it being a wedding meant it was a once in a lifetime experience.
‘We also discussed the possibility of this affecting future exams and decided it would not.
‘When we were on holiday he was able to see elephants, lemurs and fruit bats up close.
“His confidence in the water improved and so did his mental health – it was educational in its own way, in a way that school can’t offer.”
The school says they sent two fines, one to each parent, and that Hilton never paid his share, but says he never received a fine.
The mother-of-two will now be taken to court after failing to pay the £60 fine despite claiming she failed to turn up.
Ms Hilton received a Section 444 notice from Hampshire County Council, asking her to plead guilty.
He now faces a fine of up to £2,500 and a prison sentence of up to three months.
The administrator says the city council refuses to allow her to pay the fine simply because it is too late.
Ms Hilton said: “I’ve been losing sleep over this – I’m very stressed about this and trying to get to the bottom of it.”
Hilton says the vacation was “educational in its own way, in a way that school can’t offer.”
Ms Hilton said: “I’ve been losing sleep over this – I’m very stressed about this and trying to get to the bottom of it.”
A spokesperson for Hampshire County Council said: ‘There is well-documented research showing that gaps in school attendance can negatively affect a child’s wellbeing, learning and progress.
They added: ‘Department for Education (DfE) guidance is being followed in advising headteachers not to authorize absence during term time unless there are exceptional reasons that justify allowing the absence.
‘Schools may request penalty notices for unauthorized absences in accordance with this guidance and, if used, they are issued per parent and per child.
“As is customary in most court proceedings, the County Council provides a certificate of delivery as evidence that the penalty notice was delivered by first class post, not that it was actually received by the recipient.
‘This is accepted by the courts as proof of service.
‘If a fine is issued and not paid within the stipulated timeframes, local authorities must take steps to process it, unless it is not in the public interest to do so.
‘There is no other flexibility for Local Authorities in this regard. These legal interventions are only used as a last resort.
“It would not be appropriate to discuss individual circumstances, especially where they may be subject to separate legal proceedings and we are therefore unable to comment further.”