holiday during school time dilemma!!

**beachgirl29** · 30-07-2013, 10:25 PM

My daughter is 4 and starts reception class in Sept full time.
We would like to go away and have seen a very good offer for Disneyland paris in November but its 5 days and during school time. The new law starts in September and if we want a holiday we have to ask the head teacher...we are both self employed and work all the time but i am not sure they will allow it.
I want to contact the school about this but no one is there until September now and the offer will finish before then.

what to do????? anyone got advice on the new law and under 5 yr olds requirements attending school?

**westbrom44** · 31-07-2013, 05:42 AM

I dont know about a new law but it has always been a requirement to ask the headteacher for time off during term time at my children's schools and have not taken my children out of school for holidays. I dont like the idea of them missing their education despite it being so much cheaper.

**Bumble Beez** · 31-07-2013, 06:07 AM

I've been told recently that our school is mo longer allowed to authorise ANY holidays during term time...this is from out LA and so is out of the schools hands.
We took our boys out for a week earlier in the year as it was the only time we could go but it was unauthorised...didn't make a difference that I was self employed etc

Sarah x

**CLL** · 31-07-2013, 06:18 AM

There is no point contacting the school they will give you a standard response of no holidays in term time and they will probably not mention about your child being under 5. My son is going into y1 and we didn't take any holidays in term time the last 2 years in nursery or reception but this year we are going to Canada in May and he will miss a week of school. I am booking flights now and not telling anyone. He will then just miss 1 week of school, I will decide at the time if he is 'sick' or if it just goes down as unauthorised. I am getting fed up of the government dictating to us exactly how we should raise out children. They are trying to make everything so ridged and make everyone confirm to a strict set of rules. So what if our child misses a week of school. If the country is going to fall apart because of it then we clearly need a new government! Sorry, rant over. If I was you I would book it and keep quiet for now.

**JulieA** · 31-07-2013, 06:20 AM

But there is no requirement for your child to actually start school until the term after her fifth birthday. So technically taking time off then would be ok. However, I would still mention it to the head teacher out of courtesy.

At our school you need to complete a holiday request form and the school authorise the leave or not. The school can impose a fine of £100 for unauthorised leave but I don't know of anyone who has had to pay this yet.

**mazza58** · 31-07-2013, 06:33 AM

I think this country is going mad. When my children were young we went on holiday every year in tern time due to it being cheaper if we hadn't have gone then we would not have been able to take them on holiday. We had some fantastic times and they still recall them. They are both grown adults now one a marketing assistant for a large company and the other a lecture so I do not think that they missed out on school work, in fact I see it as an education in itself by offering them a chance to see the some lovely places with their family. They missed 2 weeks of school every year until they started senior school when I felt that it was better for them not to have time off school. Book it its sounds a wonderful opportunity for you and your family.

**bindy** · 31-07-2013, 06:34 AM

Personally I would go ahead and book the holiday. I know the government are imposing £60 fines for children taken out of school for holidays. To me, they are just finding other ways to raise money!! Education wise, she will not suffer at all. My nephew had 2 weeks off, every school year until he was 15 to visit Florida. He is now at uni studying medicine. I am so glad my child will be going to a school that don't mind kids having time off to go on holiday.

**loocyloo** · 31-07-2013, 06:52 AM

whilst I understand about holidays being cheaper in termtime and definitely understand wanting to use a deal for Disney, I wouldn't and haven't taken my children out of school.

ok, so they might not miss much, and may gain a huge amount of experience during the holiday, but they WILL miss things at school, which the teacher will have to recap for them when they return, thus making the whole class have to wait while they get the hang of whatever they are being taught. imagine if a whole class of 20 children each took 2 weeks off one after the other ... the teacher would never have the whole class there at the same time and would spend a lot of time playing catch up.

however, everyone is free to make their own decision and I would never tell anyone else what they should or shouldn't do, I just think it is worth looking at from a wider persective.

**rickysmiths** · 31-07-2013, 06:57 AM

There is no law about this and nothing is changing in September except that Head Teachers will no longer Authorise Holidays in term time because a few prents have taken advantage of the good nature of some heads authorising this in the past.

My parents and DH parents never took us out of school for holidays and I never did with my children. We have 14 weeks of school holidays in which to take our children on holiday so there is no need to take them in the 38 weeks term time. The majority of people manage to do this and have lovely holidays if they want them and they are not all rich either. You just cut your cloth.

Of course the holiday companies are going to do incentives in term time.

Just a thought but we went to Paris for a week a few years ago. We went about this time of year when all the Parisiens are away and you can get some amazing deals on the Train, hotels and we went to Parc Asterix not Disney but they are easy and cheap to get to from central Paris and there are great deals in August. Have a look at what is on offer now and maybe plan to go next August in the summer holidays when the weather will be better than Nov as well.

**Daftbat** · 31-07-2013, 07:03 AM

I agree with the changes regarding taking children out of school in termtime. OK, this particular situation may be excusable since the child is technically under five but primary education is just as important as secondary and time away from school is something which should be avoided.

I totally disagree with the idea of deciding if the child is going to be "sick". Having been a school governor I remember several times when the head told us that a child had "slipped up" about being sick and told everyone how great his holiday had been. If people are off to Florida then the tan will give them away too.

I understand completely that its a pain that holiday companies charge so much more during school holidays but I am sorry its just the result of a free market economy and if I was head of Thomas Cook I would want to maximise my return for my shareholders etc.

**munch149** · 31-07-2013, 07:07 AM

Your child does not have to attend school at 4 so you will have no problem. It is not a legal requirement until 5

I hate this rule as It should be a parents right to make this decision for their child and does not take into account your child's attendance and ability otherwise. For example maybe be stricter on children with say 50 percent attendance who are falling behind than those with 100 percent attendance and top of there class

Holidays can be very educational and provide great life skills. Why should people be denied this. As some cant afford to go in school holidays.

Home schoolers could take holidays whenever. I have a teaching degree and could help my child more at home and could make holidays very educTional yet that wouldn't be taken into account.

**Roseolivia** · 31-07-2013, 07:10 AM

I've already spoke to our head teacher as we have a ski holiday booked last week of January. She said it would go down as unauthorised. In my opinion I don't care about that, we can't afford to pay nearly £5000 for a weeks ski hol and I know some people never get to go skiing but I want to give my children chances I never had as a child. We never went abroad as kids and I think my children learn so much from our holidays. It doesn't seem to bother the councils when teachers have 5 p.d days a year and our children miss that education!! Some people just cannot afford to during school holidays as the prices shoot up.

**bindy** · 31-07-2013, 07:24 AM

Originally Posted by Roseolivia

I've already spoke to our head teacher as we have a ski holiday booked last week of January. She said it would go down as unauthorised. In my opinion I don't care about that, we can't afford to pay nearly £5000 for a weeks ski hol and I know some people never get to go skiing but I want to give my children chances I never had as a child. We never went abroad as kids and I think my children learn so much from our holidays. It doesn't seem to bother the councils when teachers have 5 p.d days a year and our children miss that education!! Some people just cannot afford to during school holidays as the prices shoot up.

I agree, what about those children who can afford to go on skiing trips, trips to Europe with the school? I guess they put it down to education, like that's OK, but the children can not possibly have an educational holiday with the parents!!!

**Mrsh3103** · 31-07-2013, 07:46 AM

My parents took me out of school twice a year a week at a time every year. I'm from a farming family & it was impossible to have any family time during harvest or spring so summer & Easter holidays were completely out of the question.
I learnt so much from my holidays, they were always made educational! Mum would go into the school & get us work to do. We'd spend the days out & about as a family & every other evening we would do a bit of school work.

The most important thing I learnt was what my dads face looked like.
Any of you who know, are married to or have parents who are farmers will understand this. 2 weeks of the year I got to see my dad for longer than 20 seconds.

**Pixie dust** · 31-07-2013, 08:01 AM

We asked to take our 2 sons out of school for half a day(it was the last day of term at the end of the year they don't actually do anything that morning apart from play games etc) we asked as we thought we would follow procedure my dh works away so wouldn't be here for the rest of the school hols but still the request was declined and that was 2 years ago. We never have taken them out before for holidays and their attendance record was great. I hear now so many parents saying we are taking the children on holiday and are getting a family member to phone up and say they are sick.

**TooEarlyForGin?** · 31-07-2013, 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by Pixie dust

We asked to take our 2 sons out of school for half a day(it was the last day of term at the end of the year they don't actually do anything that morning apart from play games etc) we asked as we thought we would follow procedure my dh works away so wouldn't be here for the rest of the school hols but still the request was declined and that was 2 years ago. We never have taken them out before for holidays and their attendance record was great. I hear now so many parents saying we are taking the children on holiday and are getting a family member to phone up and say they are sick.

Our schools finished at lunch at the end of this term, had 1 day "electronics" day and did different "fun" activities during the last 1-2 weeks, one of my parents who have never taken their kids out of school, were really struggling to afford a holiday and booked to take the last three days of term off. The head teacher refused and sent a "reminder letter" to all parents, telling them everyday is essential!!!

I also agree with what one of the other posters said, I have never been able to afford to send my kids on the school trips abroad, and they have been left behind and pushed into a lower class to make do, while the others we're away.

They did a presentation to children that achieve 100% attendance, no one did this year, due to lots of awful sickness. The head said "ah well something some of you can aim for for next year", fgs kids can't help being ill, it's not something they can control.

I think all cases should be taken individually.

**nikki thomson** · 31-07-2013, 08:20 AM

I have to say this past school year an awful lot of children at my children's school had holidays during term time, more than any other year and on speaking to there parents it was all financial.
People don't have alot of money right now and sometimes a holiday is what's needed, I'm not saying it's right but that's just the way it is and until holiday companies stop putting up there holidays by sometimes £1000,s of pounds iin the school hols it'll always be this way.
I personally have only taken them out of school once and that was last June as my dh came home on R&R from afghan and it was authorised. X

**AliceK** · 31-07-2013, 08:24 AM

My DD has below average attendance record for the last academic year. She had 1 day off sick last year all the rest was time off for her hospital appts of which many are a whole day away from school due to them being in Oxford or Cambridge rather than at our local hospital. I always give the school a copy of the letter from the hospital with the apt so obviously it's genuine and they know about her medical problems. It looks bad on her report so I questioned it and was told it was all okay as in the schools records they have an "m" marked against it. Teacher still said though that if it dropped below 80% the EWO would be involved. Oh, I can't wait for that to happen, my response will not be very polite

xxxx

**munch149** · 31-07-2013, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by bindy

I agree, what about those children who can afford to go on skiing trips, trips to Europe with the school? I guess they put it down to education, like that's OK, but the children can not possibly have an educational holiday with the parents!!!

Yeah like my step son who recently wanted £600 to go on a ski trip with school

**munch149** · 31-07-2013, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by AliceK

My DD has below average attendance record for the last academic year. She had 1 day off sick last year all the rest was time off for her hospital appts of which many are a whole day away from school due to them being in Oxford or Cambridge rather than at our local hospital. I always give the school a copy of the letter from the hospital with the apt so obviously it's genuine and they know about her medical problems. It looks bad on her report so I questioned it and was told it was all okay as in the schools records they have an "m" marked against it. Teacher still said though that if it dropped below 80% the EWO would be involved. Oh, I can't wait for that to happen, my response will not be very polite

xxxx

If its authorised how can ewo get involved makes no sense