Work sabbatical- absolute no no?

[PixieCake]

My husband has been offered a 3 month sabbatical in the US. My child will have just turned 5 and will be in her second term in reception.
Am I right in assuming that the school would not allow my child the time out so all the family could go? Haven't asked them yet as we haven't even started school yet, but just wondering theoretically if there would be any exception to the absence rule if it is because of a parents work situation (would it still be classed as unauthorised absence if my child went to a US school for 3 months?), or might it be granted because she is only in reception ( not sure from what age they legally have to be in school?).
Any advice much appreciated, thank you.

[caravanista13]

I'm pretty certain that you'd have to give up her place and reapply on your return. Your Local Authority admissions dept should be able to tell you.

[featherandblack]

It's actually not illegal to not have your child in school provided they are getting a decent education. So you can home educate them. Or say you are. But I think you'd have to possibly deregister. Educating a child of reception age is not required by law anyway.

[PixieCake]

Thank you - good idea to ask the LEA.
That's what I was afraid of.
The school is oversubscribed so I understand it is unfair to hold my daughter's place.
It's a tricky one for our family though because this is an important career move but we also have a toddler and a baby, and I have health problems, so 3 months is a long time for their dad to be away

[Happy36]

I am a teacher and a parent (my children are 4 and 7).

In your shoes I would definitely take your daughter to the US with your husband. Speak to the school or the LEA to explain the situation. I really think this would be a wonderful opportunity for your daughter to experience life elsewhere and a different culture and she will remember it for the rest of her life.

I don´t think it would be illegal for her to go with you, as it´s not a holiday, (and your family is entitled to live together), but, as other posters have said, the school may not be able to keep her place.

At the school where I teach, (which is a private school), a teacher took a sabbatical year to study at Harvard and took her three children (twins aged 15 and a 5 year old) with her to go to school there. They have just got back and are raving about the wonderful experience. Obviously I realise the difference between her situation and yours, but this is fresh in my mind as we saw them at the weekend.

[teacherwith2kids]

When is you daughter's birthday? And how does it correspond to school term dates?

Your child does not have to be in education until the term AFTER her 5th birthday. So if e.g. her birthday was in january, and the sabbatical was for Mid Jan - mid April, you might be really lucky and just get to defer taking up her Reception place until after Easter (which is perfectly allowed).

It would mean, though, that you couldn't send her to school for the autumn term, because, while it is possible not to start until after Easter and keep your place, you can't start, then stop and still keep your place IYSWIM.

Of course, if she is born in December, she has to be in school in January, and the above doesn't apply. But if the dates fall correctly, you might be able to wangle it!

(Oh bother, just Googled and found that Easter this year is as early as it can possibly be, pretty much, which gives you less leeway. You might be able to go for most of the sabbatical and come back a week or so early for the start of the Summer term?)

[Nowfeeltheneedtopost]

I don't think there's any problem with you doing this at all except that you obviously can't expect your child's school to hold the place open for you. As others have said this could be classed as home educating so no issue at all. But yes, when you come back, you will need to apply for school places the same as anyone else moving back/into the area. And you are probably best placed to know whether your child would get back into the same school or would be offered a different one based on how oversubscribed the schools are and what the waiting lists are like.

[beeashby]

I would have assumed this was impossible to do, but I do know people who have managed to get their state primary school (oversubscribed, London) to keep a place for a child who was abroad for a term. They may have used 'educated offsite'. So it's worth asking the head if there's anything they can do, making it absolutely clear that you will be back and want her to return to her place. Ultimately, it's down to them, it seems, not the LA.

[LLM71]

Hi Happy36 I had a quick question for you - you mentioned the teacher who took the 15 and 5 year old to the USA for a year. We want to do the same thing for a whole year 2016-7 when my husband has a one year sabbatical from his University and plans to spend it in NY. However, my daughters will then miss their year 8 and year 10 in the UK. I am worried about the one in year 10 who would be doing all her GCSE prep and may even be taking a couple of GCSEs. I wondered what the family you mentioned did with the 15 year olds who may also have missed out on an important year of schooling in the UK. Yours or any other advice would be welcome.
thanks

[Millymollymama]

A friend of mine moved to the USA for 2 years and they were back after 1 year due to disastrous schooling for their teenage children and real fears over GCSE preparation for the older one. The USA curriculum is very different they found.

Also, lots of people never admit they have made a mistake. They might like the experience of the USA and Harvard, but in reality, schooling in the USA is not preparation for our GCSEs. Their schools can, of course, be excellent and private ones definitely so. I would say choice of school is therefore vital and how the teaching at the school can dovetail with the GCSE subjects to be taken here. History and Geography are definite problems. My DDs both spent a term in an independent school in South Africa on a school exchange when they were 13 and the syllabus and even some subjects were completely different.

Very bright children may be able to carry on here in year 11 as if nothing had interruped their year 10 education. Most people do not have children like this and the curriculum difficulties are a challenge to overcome. These children could have rejoined the school in year 10, especially if they are privately educated where, being down a year, is not unusual.

[ProudAS]

Could you defer her start date (assuming you are going to be back by the time she reaches compulsory school age). Opportunities like this don't come along every week.