holidays in school term time

**lou lou** · 26-04-2013, 03:34 PM

Just wondering what your views are on this and if you take your children on holiday in school time, we are just about to book ours and looking to take my daughter out of school who is 6 for a hoiliday, we have not had a holiday in 3 years and is very difficult for me to go in term time when I am very busy with work and parents needng me in the holidays and also my partner finds it hard getting time off in the school holidays with work commitments and also it is very expensive. we have just had a letter from school saying they are getting a lot of requests for hoilidays out of school time and how it effects the whole schools attendence and the children will not have the chance of sucess and trying to make us feel bad for doing it but to be honest I dont think they should be doing this to parents why dont they send the letters to holiday companies to put prices down or keep them the same through the year then it would solve the problem this is the only chance of a holiday for us it would be good to hear your views and what you do

**smurfette** · 26-04-2013, 03:39 PM

Go for it! We lifted our girls out for four days in sept to take them to Disneyland and have suddenly realised we can afford a week in the sun if we go this month, the girls are off for a midterm break for a week but unfort that week dh is away on a work course so we will go the end of that week. Normally wouldn't do it twice in one school year but eldest is going to secondary school in end August and I wouldn't lift her out from that, primary level is different so our last chance ., we also can't afford to go school holidays as we have three kids and the cost is horrendous., you are right holiday companies take advantage and would be better off making cost year round.

I know maybe here schools aren't as strict , think if pupils have more than 20 days off they notify the dept of education, hopefully they don't have that much although they have had one bug after another all winter!

I wouldn't be asking school but would tell them, and offer to catch them up on school work when they are back

**FussyElmo** · 26-04-2013, 03:41 PM

Our school flatly refuses to authorise any holidays and it goes down as an unauthorised absence.

**Mouse** · 26-04-2013, 03:46 PM

I have to be honest, I never took my children out of school, despite the fact there were 5 of them & holidays in school holiday time cost us a absolute fortune!

Looking back now, I sometimes wish I had taken them out. I don't think the odd week does any harm, as long as it's not at a crucial time for them.
It depends on the school though. I know now some refuse to authorise time off.

**lizann** · 26-04-2013, 03:52 PM

go for it I think its wrong of schools to make parents feel guilty some cant for what ever reason take time of during the school holidays its time the schools realise this and be more flexible

**caz3007** · 26-04-2013, 03:55 PM

Ours are very strict and its very hard to get absences authorised. Son is year 5. We only do holidays in school holidays although we dont go abroad, we hire cottages, camp and I spend hours trawling the net to find these as cheap as possible.

My mum has booked for all the family to go for a long weekend in October and DS will miss the Friday and the Monday but this is the last time as our secondary school fines you

**lou lou** · 26-04-2013, 03:57 PM

my daughter is six and doing really well at school and i have no worries about her at school and a holiday would do us good, and I also think life is too short and to spend some quality time with my daughter would be great and just hate the fact the school make you feel so guilty for doing it when it is the holiday companies at fault here what I dont understand is why it can cost so much more to go in term time and so much cheeper out of term what is the difference ? just another reason to rip us off !!!

**adedwards68** · 26-04-2013, 04:01 PM

None of the schools my children go to with authorise holiday leave in term time but I have taken them out. I just make sure that they haven't got any exams, or are in their gsce's years. A school I used to work at had a lot if children who would take 4 weeks off before the beginning of the summer hols, as they visited families abroad and would go for 2 1/2 months. They did this every year. So a few days to a couple of weeks won't make a lot of difference

**winstonian** · 26-04-2013, 05:33 PM

We havent done it before but this September we are taking our 3 out to go to Florida with my parents. It was £4000 difference in price compared to summer holidays!

**chriss** · 26-04-2013, 05:35 PM

at 6 yrs old I dont think it will affect her education at this stage. Different if older n taking exams, so I say enjoy yr hols !!

**phoenix2010** · 26-04-2013, 05:41 PM

Im going to go against the grain and say I dont do it

I moan about how much time the children have off anyway for holidays ,
then 5 training days plus a day for local elections ,
so if I took him out of school for a holiday I would be a bit of a hypocrite

but Im not judging you and I do understand why you would

**maryp0ppins** · 26-04-2013, 05:44 PM

At 6 defo, I did it a few times with my dds whilst at primary, much cheaper. Now their in upper & exams etc then no I wouldn't take them out as its the most crucial part of their education (IMO). I have however booked this years summer holiday & they will both be off the very last day of term

Do it hope you have a great time

**funemnx** · 26-04-2013, 05:53 PM

While ours were in Primary School we took them out for holidays - maybe not a full week but definately long weekends - the school were very strict about holidays so we just phoned and said they had a tummy bug. Not honest I know but the holiday experience far outweighed what they would miss in school...

I lost so much in earnings in holiday time - They're only young once!

**lou lou** · 26-04-2013, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by funemnx

While ours were in Primary School we took them out for holidays - maybe not a full week but definately long weekends - the school were very strict about holidays so we just phoned and said they had a tummy bug. Not honest I know but the holiday experience far outweighed what they would miss in school...

I lost so much in earnings in holiday time - They're only young once!

that is what i think I want to enjoy her while she is young and i definately would not take her out of school if she had exams just dont like be made to feel bad about it for wanting to spend a bit of time with her

**CLL** · 26-04-2013, 06:06 PM

I wouldn't personally do it, but it sounds as if you have made up your mind to go. As an ex teacher I had a lot of pupils miss time off school. You can never really say if it has a detrimental effect or not on their education, you will never know. However you may see significant gains, such as increased quality family time, increase in confidence, experiencing new cultures, learning to swim more confidently etc. make a list of all the benefits and see if that out-ways missing a week of school, it probably will

**ivy** · 26-04-2013, 09:34 PM

I have always taken my child during school time for holidays . One factor that always influenced the decision was the cost . To me holidays can be just as much educational as fun . More often than not schools are only worried about the government statistics about children being absent rather than them being abscent ,

**wendywu** · 26-04-2013, 10:03 PM

I think that as soon as the teachers went on strike they blew any chance of demanding you have no time off in term time. They did not wait for holidays to get their point across did they, NO they made the childen miss a few days education.

Whats good for one is good for another thats what i say, or just pretend we have a few inches of snow

**starlight1** · 26-04-2013, 10:17 PM

We are off on holiday on Monday...

My son is in year one..I have no concerns taking him out..he has had 3 days off sick this year that was two cases of tonsillitus...

**Supernanny86** · 26-04-2013, 10:18 PM

I agree go for it!! It's ok as not done often. Never hurt me (obv we never did when there was important exams etc but then that's common sense!!) I say go for it, ring in sick for them, holiday companies make so much more money in holiday time. Term time costs are so much cheaper!! Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to go on specified holidays!!

And besides teachers think its just fine to strike in school time!! Can't have it both ways can they!!

**kellib** · 26-04-2013, 11:27 PM

I do it with my 7 year old and he's doing brilliantly at school so it doesn't do them any harm!

It's educational for kids to experience different places etc, my son always takes things back to show his class, not because he's interested in learning etc but because he's a show off lol