By . Jaya Narain . PUBLISHED: . 06:15 EST, 10 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:16 EST, 10 October 2012 . A mother who is refusing to pay a fine for taking her son out of school in term time to attend her wedding in the Caribbean will appear before magistrates next week. Frances Harden, 31, was denied permission to take Harrison, 13, out of school for the wedding in April but went ahead anyway and was fined £50 on her return from the 14-day trip. She believes the school’s decision was unreasonable and says she refused to pay the local council’s anti-truancy penalty on principle. Her refusal has since resulted in the fine doubling to £100, and now she has been summonsed to appear in court. Bride: Frances White with her husband Nick Harden and her sons Harrison (centre right) and Alex at her wedding in St Lucia. She is due to appear before magistrates next week after refusing to pay a town hall fine for taking Harrison out of school so he could attend the ceremony . Absent without leave: Harrison walks his mother down the aisle during the Caribbean ceremony . Beach wedding: Stockport Council has now summoned Ms White to court after she refused to pay a fine for taking Harrison out of school during term time . Mrs Harden said: ‘It is ridiculous. I can understand why these rules are needed for people who abuse the system, but this was a one-off in exceptional circumstances – our wedding day. ‘We had to book it during term time because we both work full time and it was the only time everyone could get there.’ Mrs Harden, a care assistant from Stockport, began planning the £8,000 wedding at a four-star hotel on the island of St Lucia in 2011 and one of the highlights of the beach ceremony was for Harrison to give her away. She says that when she realised the wedding would not fall in the middle of his Easter holiday, as she had expected, she repeatedly tried to email his headmistress Dr Rose Hegan at Marple Hall School in Stockport. Going to court: Ms White and Harrison outside his school gates in Marple near Stockport . Summons: The letter Stockport Council sent to Ms White after she refused to pay the fine . Dream wedding: Ms White had been planning her big day for more than a year . A month before the wedding, she was eventually refused permission to take Harrison, her son from a previous relationship, out of school. Heading to court: Ms White has refused to pay the council's fine on principle . Her younger son Alex, six, was allowed by his primary school to take time off. Mrs Harden, whose husband Nick, 32, is a project manager, will face a charge of failing to ensure Harrison’s attendance at school when she appears before Stockport magistrates. She said: ‘The system is inconsistent and I’m refusing to pay the fine out of principle. I want to make a point in court and I’ll be representing myself. I am expecting a £1,000 fine, but I don’t care. ‘I want something to change because I think it’s preposterous letting some children off and not others. I didn’t have a problem with Alex’s school –  they embraced it.’ A spokesman for Marple Hall School said it was obliged to follow local authority and government ‘guidance which is clear that permission for holidays can be given only rarely’. Stockport Council said: ‘As schools are closed for 13 weeks a year, there is ample opportunities for holidays or family celebrations to take place outside of term time. ‘Where term-time holidays take place without the approval of the school, parents are liable to receive fixed-penalty fines.’
Frances White refused to pay town hall fine for her son's 11-day absence .
She had asked Marple Hall School for permission a year in advance .
When headteacher refused, she took her son to St Lucia wedding anyway .
The 31-year-old is due to appear before magistrates next week .
By . Jaya Narain . PUBLISHED: . 06:15 EST, 10 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:16 EST, 10 October 2012 . A mother who is refusing to pay a fine for taking her son out of school in term time to attend her wedding in the Caribbean will appear before magistrates next week. Frances Harden, 31, was denied permission to take Harrison, 13, out of school for the wedding in April but went ahead anyway and was fined £50 on her return from the 14-day trip. She believes the school’s decision was unreasonable and says she refused to pay the local council’s anti-truancy penalty on principle. Her refusal has since resulted in the fine doubling to £100, and now she has been summonsed to appear in court. Bride: Frances White with her husband Nick Harden and her sons Harrison (centre right) and Alex at her wedding in St Lucia. She is due to appear before magistrates next week after refusing to pay a town hall fine for taking Harrison out of school so he could attend the ceremony . Absent without leave: Harrison walks his mother down the aisle during the Caribbean ceremony . Beach wedding: Stockport Council has now summoned Ms White to court after she refused to pay a fine for taking Harrison out of school during term time . Mrs Harden said: ‘It is ridiculous. I can understand why these rules are needed for people who abuse the system, but this was a one-off in exceptional circumstances – our wedding day. ‘We had to book it during term time because we both work full time and it was the only time everyone could get there.’ Mrs Harden, a care assistant from Stockport, began planning the £8,000 wedding at a four-star hotel on the island of St Lucia in 2011 and one of the highlights of the beach ceremony was for Harrison to give her away. She says that when she realised the wedding would not fall in the middle of his Easter holiday, as she had expected, she repeatedly tried to email his headmistress Dr Rose Hegan at Marple Hall School in Stockport. Going to court: Ms White and Harrison outside his school gates in Marple near Stockport . Summons: The letter Stockport Council sent to Ms White after she refused to pay the fine . Dream wedding: Ms White had been planning her big day for more than a year . A month before the wedding, she was eventually refused permission to take Harrison, her son from a previous relationship, out of school. Heading to court: Ms White has refused to pay the council's fine on principle . Her younger son Alex, six, was allowed by his primary school to take time off. Mrs Harden, whose husband Nick, 32, is a project manager, will face a charge of failing to ensure Harrison’s attendance at school when she appears before Stockport magistrates. She said: ‘The system is inconsistent and I’m refusing to pay the fine out of principle. I want to make a point in court and I’ll be representing myself. I am expecting a £1,000 fine, but I don’t care. ‘I want something to change because I think it’s preposterous letting some children off and not others. I didn’t have a problem with Alex’s school –  they embraced it.’ A spokesman for Marple Hall School said it was obliged to follow local authority and government ‘guidance which is clear that permission for holidays can be given only rarely’. Stockport Council said: ‘As schools are closed for 13 weeks a year, there is ample opportunities for holidays or family celebrations to take place outside of term time. ‘Where term-time holidays take place without the approval of the school, parents are liable to receive fixed-penalty fines.’
fine for taking her son out of school in term appear before magistrates next week. Frances wedding in St Lucia. She is due to appear before town hall fine for taking Harrison out of school court after she refused to pay a fine for taking headmistress Dr Rose Hegan at Marple Hall School