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Ds attends a nursery preschool which is part of our primary school (FS1). Do I need to apply to yake him out for 2 days holiday as if I would if he was in reception there?

7 replies

tiredandwornoutmum · 04/03/2009 14:19

I only ask as they treat the nursery as another class in the school and we get the same letters etc, including ones about attendance.

The school recently sent home a letter saying they would not be accepting time off for holidays anymore and it would go down as an unauthorised absence if the reason for going away was for holidays in term time due to finances, or work committments.

Which, as a teacher myself, (part time, in another school) I agree with.

However, as I don't work fridays and mondays, Dh has arranged for us to go down to cornwall for mothers day for a long weekend.

Are the attendance 'laws/rules' legally applied for FS1 (nursery)as well as the rest of the year groups? Obviously ds doesn't legally have to start school until he is 5, can the school prevent us from taking ds out for 2 days? (the friday and monday)Or put the absense down as unauthorised?

Ds has had 2 days off sick and 2 other days off (we went on another long weekend in the autumn) on holiday since September.

Obviously we wouldn't be taking him out again this year, and certainly wouldn't even entertain the idea once he starts school properly in September.

TIA

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Seeline · 04/03/2009 14:23

I was in the same situation with DD last year. We went away for 2 weeks over May half term (which with an additional inset day only meant missing 4 days) I never even consideredasking for permission - they don't have to be there. I informed the staff before half term as a courtesy and they didn't say anything. Even now she is in Reception, she won't be 5 until after the summer holidays start, and I wonder whether legally they could prevent her missing school.

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Fimbo · 04/03/2009 14:23

Ds was at the school nursery and you just told them, he wasn't going to be there for a couple of days verbally. But then our schools allow 10 days off for holidays although it is not actively encouraged.

Perhaps have a word with the nursery teacher and see what she says.

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CompareTheMeerkat · 04/03/2009 14:25

I had a thread like this last year - in the end we didn't take DS out of nursery, but I think it is fine. Many people on the thread I did felt it was Very Bad to even think of it.

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ChopsTheDuck · 04/03/2009 14:26

our nursery liked to be told if they weren't attending. There were no restrictions, but it was a bit frowned upon.

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purepurple · 05/03/2009 07:49

you are not legally required to send him to nursery and can have time off. Just let them know in advance.
Anyway, does it matter if they put it down as unauthorised absence?
What are they going to do? Arrest you

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Nemoandthefishes · 05/03/2009 08:03

In nursery they dont legally have to be there so its just polite to tell them that you are doing it. We took DS out of nursery last year in the june as we won a free holiday. I just informed his teachers who said no probs have a lovely time. It was nice as despite having 3 younger it was obviously our last chance to have a term time break.