Olivia Burke
A self-proclaimed 'bad mum' is heading on another term-time holiday with her kids despite being warned she could be slapped with a criminal record.
Whitney Ainscough says she is willing to run the risk so that her three children can 'see the world' with her and her partner. She jetted off on two family holidays in 2024 with Cora Bentley, 12, Addison Squires, seven, and three-year-old Adley Christopher during the academic year.
The youngsters missed ten days of school in total when they took a £5,000 trip to Cyprus in June before heading to Zante on an £8,000 holiday the following month.
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Ainscough, who shares footage of her family life on her TikTok account @itsmebadmom, said she was left 'fuming' when she received a fine from her eldest child's school, forking out for the £60 penalty after being penalised for travelling in July.
She then received another letter in the post on 17 January warning of something more sinister, as the mum explained that the letter stated that she could face a criminal record for taking her children out of school for a holiday.
In a video shared to social media, she told her 440,000 followers she was 'flabbergasted' by the single justice procedure notice which outlined that she could be charged under Section 444 (1) of the Education Act 1996.
This clause states that a parent can be found guilty of an offence if a child of compulsory school age who is a registered pupil at a school fails to attend regularly, as there has to be 'reasonable justification' for the kid's lack of attendance, according to the government legislation.
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"I was expecting that I may get another fine but I'd not heard anything and it had been months," Ainscough said of the second letter. "I was absolutely furious, fuming. To be honest with you, it would absolutely make me laugh. How could you even threaten somebody with jail for taking their kids on holiday?
"I just can't understand the logic of it. These are my children, they are not the government's children."
Ainscough appears to be undaunted by the warning though, as she is about to take her 'clever' three kids on another holiday this week to Paris - which she insists will be 'educational'.
The 31-year-old, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, continued: "What do you want me to do? Leave my kids at home while I go off on fancy holidays with my partner?
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"No. I'm sure social services would be getting involved at that point. I take my kids on a nice holiday to see the world and you get penalised for it. It's absolutely disgusting."
She claimed that the family's holidays are 'all educational', saying that they visit historical sites, interact with animals and experience different cultures.
"They need education," Ainscough said. "But they also need to see more of the world. It f***ing frustrates me."
The mother-of-three explained that she has returned the letter to the council outlining her reasons for removing Cora from school during term time.
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"I've sent the letter back, saying I am guilty of taking Cora out of school, which I'm not going to deny," she added. "It's nothing to do with the money, it's to do with how busy things are.
"I have a child with ADHD and other things. He struggles a lot in majorly busy times. It's not because I think I'm better and I don't need to send my kids to school.
"It's more to do with how my other child is going to cope while we are there and making it easier for us. Surely they should understand my reasons for taking them out at that time."
The family are heading to Paris this weekend to celebrate Ainscough's partner's birthday.
"I had the option to leave them at home with family but I don't want to," she said of her travel plans. "I want to take my kids to see Paris. You know, Disneyland, the Eiffel Tower."
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Ainscough claimed she feels as though authorities are 'trying to make an example out of her' due to her significant online presence, adding: "I feel like I am being targeted. If they were to try and jail me over taking my kids on holiday, it would be a big deal on social media.
"I'm not worried because I think it would be absolutely ridiculous and if that was the case I would pull all three children out of education and keep them at home."
Rotherham Council have been contacted for comment.