education

Strict school fines mum £60 because daughter didn’t go on £40 school trip

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The school’s decision to fine the parent was met with widespread criticism

A school has fined a mum who stopped her daughter taking part in two activity days held to ‘celebrate students’ hard work’.

Magna Academy in Poole, Dorset, cancelled lessons on the last two days of the summer term and instead arranged activities including skiing lessons and a visit to a water park.

Parents were expected to fund these outings, which cost up to £40 a pop.

The mother of the 13-year-old, did not conform to the two days of fun and kept her daughter off school, saying she found the costs ‘very expensive’ and unfair on families with less money.

She claims that the school have since contacted her to tell her she will be fined £60 and her daughter will have to attend school on Saturdays to make up the lost time.

The parent, who did not wish to be named, said: ‘I would prefer to take my daughter to activities like this myself during the summer holiday and some of them are very expensive.

Magna Academy in Poole, Dorset, cancelled lessons on the last two days of the summer term (Picture: BNPS)

‘Those who don’t want to fork out a lot of money will be left walking around the heath or doing puzzles at school while their friends are skiing or doing water sports.

‘The school should have broken up last Friday. It is totally wrong that she’s being asked to make up the hours on Saturdays and I’ve been given a fine.

‘It’s absolutely ridiculous. One minute they’re being very strict, then the next they think it’s fine to cancel two whole days of lessons.’

The paid activities included ski lessons at £40 per day, Rockley Water Sports for £32, Altitude High Ropes at £18 for half a day and two hours at Splashdown for £11.

There was also the chance to go to the cinema for £5, bowling for £6 or £2 for rocket building.

Richard Tutt, the principal of a Dorset academy, which has a reputation for being a ‘notoriously strict school’ (Picture: BNPS)

Less appealing free options offered were doing puzzles and an urban heath clean.

A letter sent by Magna Academy to parents in May said they had suspended lessons for the final two days of the summer term to provide ‘enrichment activities’ for pupils in years 7 to 10.

It read: ‘To celebrate all our students’ hard work and excellent progress this year, we will be running two activity days at the end of the summer term.

‘The normal timetable will be suspended and there will be two full days of extension and enrichment activities for all students, years 7-10.

‘Please read through these activities and descriptions and consider the cost involved.’

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The school’s decision to fine the parent was met with criticism on social media, with some commenters labelling it ‘heavy handed’.

Jodie Windsor said: ‘This seems very heavy handed on the head’s part. Not all families will be able to afford for all of these trips.

‘If the school wish to enforce it then they should pay for these treats, using a heath clean as an appropriate alternative is unacceptable.

‘This comes across as more of a deterrent and unfair for those families who would have to attend the free activities because of the costs.’

Liz Smith added: ‘This is ridiculous those parents with two or three children at this school would be hard pushed to find the money.’

The school has previously come under fire for its strict, zero-tolerance policy on behaviour.

Students must walk to lessons in silence and are removed from class if their pencil cases are too small and rulers too short.



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