Mum of autistic children in court over holiday

A single mother has been fined after taking her family on an unauthorised term-time holiday to Lanzarote.

Leanne Bray said each of her five children, aged between six and 15, was autistic.

She told Birmingham Magistrates' Court it would not be possible for them to go abroad during the summer holidays because resorts were too busy.

But Coleshill Heath Primary School, attended by her four youngest, rejected the request for time off before Solihull Council took her to court.

Ms Bray, from Chelmsley Wood, said she accepted she had broken the law by taking her children abroad in June last year.

But she insisted she had done nothing wrong, claiming her children needed a break and it was not right that she could not take them away through no fault of their own.

She opted for a court case because she wanted to explain her reasoning, but Solihull Council did not attend the hearing.

The court's legal adviser said this was unusual and no reason had been given for the absence, adding he had exhausted every avenue to find out where the council's prosecutors were.

Ms Bray, who is a full-time carer and claims universal credit, told the court she had found it hard to get her head around why she was being punished.

The 35-year-old claimed to have carefully planned the holiday and consulted professionals who agreed a break from the children's routines would be beneficial to their wellbeing.

She said the family went on educational outings during the trip, including days out to learn about volcanoes and submarines.

"It's [my] responsibility to ensure their wellbeing and provide them with experiences that contribute to their overall development," she told the court.

"The school's rigid academic schedule... and limited resources often fail to cater adequately to their unique requirements."

The court heard the four children's attendance at Coleshill Heath School was good and they were present in class about 95% of the time.

"My decision was not driven by disregard for the school's authority or a lack of respect for the educational system," Ms Bray said.

"I firmly believe the wellbeing and development of my children should take precedence over bureaucratic procedures, especially when their special needs are involved."

Presiding Justice Francis Fletcher said magistrates had taken into account Ms Bray's income, read the case documents and listened carefully to her mitigation.

The mother was ordered to pay £160 in fines plus a surcharge of £64.

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