Furious dad 'fines' striking teachers after receiving £360 penalty for taking his kids on term-time holiday

A furious dad has 'fined' his children's striking teachers after he was hit with a £360 penalty for taking his family on an all-inclusive holiday during term time.

Wesley Joyce, 42, and his wife Stacey, 34, took their son Jai-Jai, 15, and daughters Cleo, 13, and Hallie, five, out of school for a ten-day break to Turkey last month, which would have cost the family an additional £5,000 during the summer holidays. Upon returning home, the parents had received penalties from their children's two schools - Tudor Grange Primary Academy Perdiswell and Christopher Whitehead Language College - for removing them during term time.

"The holiday came to £7,000 with seven people all inclusive. If I went in the summer holidays it was £12,000 that’s a difference of £5,000," the frustrated dad said. “We just couldn’t afford that and why should we. The memories of a family holiday will live with them forever."

Leaving for Turkey on 8 June and returning home on 22 June, Wesley, a builder from Worcester, was astounded to have the letters delivered to both he and his wife after arriving home in the UK. He said his children's teachers had had their thirteenth day of strike action about a month earlier, adding: "[I was] assuming it wouldn’t be an issue as they've done it."

Teachers across England have been striking for an above-inflation pay increase as well as additional funding for schools from the government. The National Education Union has called on the government to reopen negotiations with union representatives after its membership rejected a one-off payment of £1,000 and new possible strike action was announced.

Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretaries of the National Education Union, said: "No headteacher or teacher wants to be taking strike action but if there is no resolution to this dispute, strike action across England’s schools and colleges will be going ahead at the start of September."

Wesley criticised teachers for striking, saying that his son Jai-Jai had "watched a film all day" while in school as his teachers were staging industrial action. He added: “How’s that helping him? Jai-Jai has done really well this year but now he’s got ten absent days."

Instead of paying the £360 penalty, which rises to £720 if not paid within 21 days, Wesley took the decision to send a letter to the schools, demanding that teachers on strike were charged for refusing to work.

He said: "They're in the position of 'who are you to fine us. You can’t fine us.' Teachers know the conditions and pay scale, so why do they strike? If you don’t like the job, go find somewhere else.

"Teachers are supposed to be bright and brainy, but it doesn't look that way right now. They’re charging me £720 whilst they go on strike, so I can’t work. It's a vicious circle."

The two schools are said to have refused Wesley's request for an authorised absence before taking his family on holiday, meaning that the children's absence was unauthorised and was at risk of being punished through a fine issued by their local education authority. Laws around school absences in England were tightened in 2013, with fines now commonplace for those who choose to take their child out of school during term time without the school's approval.

Neil Morris, headteacher of Christopher Whitehead Language College, said: "Mr Joyce may be fined for taking his child out for 10 days. The child will have crucial exams in 32 weeks."

Tudor Grange Primary Academy Perdiswell refused to comment on the situation.