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Secondary education

My only option is to take dd out of school for a week. Please help me, what do I tell the head teacher?

36 replies

mosschops30 · 11/10/2008 23:09

I know he wont authorise it, I took her out one day last year to see a concert close to xmas and he said he's authorise it as a one off. They are notorious for not allowing leave in term time.

So I have decided I wont lie and pretend she's ill for a week (it will be the week before or the week after May holidays). But will write to him and check they have no tests or exams.

Any ideas what I can say, other than I hope to be 4 months pg by then, so no option to go later in the year, we cant afford to go in summer hols. Thats about it.

Any advice would be good, oh and if you dont agree with taking your children out please dont post and tell me because Im of the other school of thought

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mosschops30 · 11/10/2008 23:09

oh and another thing, is it likely we will incur a fine (im not bothered about that) or a visit from the education welfare (would be mortified!)?

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Lauriefairycake · 11/10/2008 23:11

what's wrong with what you said and telling the truth? as long as you're prepared to pay the fine if there is one and you accept whatever the consequences are with your choice then just go with what you said.

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Lauriefairycake · 11/10/2008 23:12

x-posted so you know about the fine then

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MOrticiaAdams · 11/10/2008 23:12

Well, what's the worse that can happen? She'll have one weeks un-authorised absence noted on her report card this year?

I did the same earlier this year. I took DD out for a week and I wrote and told 100% truth. (I'd won a holiday on MN!) The reply came back that due to blah, blah, blah reasons, they had no alternative, but to mark it as unauthorized.

Its not going to effect her job prospects, so that's life! What year is she in?

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MOrticiaAdams · 11/10/2008 23:14

They will threaten the Welfare people and a fine, but afaik, they can't actually enforce it. They have to send a letter like that to you, to comply with Ofsted rules.

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Bramshott · 11/10/2008 23:14

Forevercleaning posted on this thread here about getting fined - I think it was £100 but it very much depends on the school.

If it will be unauthorised anyway, I don't think you need to ask them, just tell them: "Minimosschops will be away for a week either before or after the May holidays. Please let me know if tests or exams are organised for either of these weeks". Or take the coward's ways out and ask the class teacher about exams, and then just write "Minimosschops will be away for x week for a family holiday"

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mosschops30 · 11/10/2008 23:15

Shes in year 8. She's rarely sick (talking one day a year at the most, compared to some ).
Im not bothered about the unauthorised absence thing, or the fine (is there a standard fee?), but I would be very worried if I had to deal with an education welfare officer, that would be awful, I'd feel like a dreadful parent and I dont think that taking your child out of school for 5 days is unreasonable or makes me a bad parent. We have had some of our best times together as a family on holidays and we love it

(where did you go morticia, you lucky thing)

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MOrticiaAdams · 11/10/2008 23:16

Well, there you go! I know nothing! Different authorities, different rules. I know our borough doesn't issue fines, because the Year head told me!

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mosschops30 · 11/10/2008 23:18

, thanks for the link though branshott, lotsof good advice on there too

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MOrticiaAdams · 11/10/2008 23:19

She won't have any tests then. Year 8 is a nothing year! Nowt to do, other than get ready for Yr9! Don't worry about the Welfare, they really only send them out to repeat offenders and not the ones that actually tell the school their Lo's aren't going to be in!

I won the holiday to Zante earlier this year. I'm MaureenMLove btw!

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Lauriefairycake · 11/10/2008 23:20

Why would it be awful? 'dreadful parent', 'bad parent', 'unreasonable' - all very negative words which are yours.

You sent her to that school knowing what their policy was. If they choose to not have her or you choose to send her somewhere that doesn't have these rules (or home educate her) then that's the choice, yours and theirs.

You're an adult making choices here. If you don't feel bad about the choice you're making then accept the consequences of what will happen.

I mean, it's what we teach the children, right?

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mosschops30 · 11/10/2008 23:20

Oh wow, was it fabulous? Did your dd enjoy?

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Bramshott · 11/10/2008 23:24

Argh sorry, didn't mean to traumatise you!! I haven't read the whole thread, but if you read the first few posts, forevercleaning has useful info on fines etc!

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MOrticiaAdams · 11/10/2008 23:28

We had a fab time thankyou. DD learnt to scubadive and she thought it was brilliant. We had a private villa and pool. Beautiful, beautiful place.

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TinkerBellesMum · 11/10/2008 23:43

I doubt they'll fine you if she's normally got a good record.

I was bullied at school and never got above about 80% attendance, I'd either run off from school or just not go - I'm also autoimmune and had a throat infection every six weeks, literally wake up with it Monday morning, you can imagine how well that went down I wasn't diagnosed until three years ago.

I do get cross about attendance records and awards for 100% attendance because some children don't have a choice about not attending and I find it discriminatory. It's awarding a child who is fortunate enough to never have a days sickness and to go to a good supportive school and not be bullied. Whoopee.

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herbietea · 11/10/2008 23:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Quattrocento · 12/10/2008 00:15

I know I was told not to post (being of the school of thought that teaching children to flout the law is wrong) but just had to correct this absurdity:

"but afaik, they can't actually enforce it."

DH regularly prosecutes parents who do not send children to school. It's the law you know ...

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frisbyrat · 12/10/2008 09:42

Just curious - why do you need to know what tests she'll be missing?

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seeker · 12/10/2008 10:05

And if you lie about it are you expecting your dd to lie about it too? She won't be able to talk about her holiday to her friends, she'll have to lie every time a teacher asks her if she's better.......

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seeker · 12/10/2008 10:06

"year 8 is a nothing year".......why send them to school at all then?

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SqueakyPop · 12/10/2008 10:19

Year 8 is a great year!

Going to school is not just about doing tests.

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Anna8888 · 12/10/2008 10:24

Why don't you go on holiday without her, and then send her on a holiday on her own later in the year during the holidays?

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needmorecoffee · 12/10/2008 10:31

ds2 has various weeks off school for camps. Not affected his academic learning and its never been mentioned by the school.

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Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 12/10/2008 10:59

Mosschops - the head may have no choice but to not authorise. At the moment the dfes are being very tough on attendance and LEAs often have a blanket ' no holidays ' policy.

I wouldn't worry about a fine, it's unlikely if your dd's attendance is otherwise good. If you go on to your LEA's website you can usually find something on their fining policy. Usually it's 20 sessions ( a session being a half day ) before it triggers a fine and I think they have to send a warning notice first. You may well get a call from the EWO; it may not be something you can avoid as most LEA's have a % trigger after which you get referred. They are unlikely to visit though - too busy number crunching for the Dfes these days.

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seeker · 12/10/2008 11:41

Interesting concept, Anna888 - serial family holidays!

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