Term time holidays

I’m a disabled single parent. You bet if I’m ever able to afford to take my child on holiday, I will be taking him out of school to do so. It basically is penalising the ‘poor’ further as people who can afford to do holiday time will do, the ‘poor’ have no other option than to take their children out of school. I really do hate this country

I'm glad it's not at the headteachers discretion tbh, imagine the pressure on heads trying to justify to parents why one family were given permission and another was denied.
The repeat offenders spoilt it for everyone I think. If it was the odd family taking term time leave there would not have been an issue but some family do the same year in year out and often it's these kids who aren't doing well academically and are unable to hold down good friendships.

"the school simply report to the council who apply an annonymised rule across the board regardless of how well your child is doing and whether they can afford to miss a week here and there or how much you genuinely support the school as a community"

That is the only fair way. Why should ( for example) more able children be allowed holidays when other children are not.

I've rarely taken mine out - mainly because I couldn't afford a holiday even at cheap rates most years! But my parents used to take me on holiday in September/October a lot of the time because that was what they could afford and the weather was still fairly nice.

I disagree with fining families, the rule is children need to be educated. Many holidays are more educational than a week in school in so many ways.

The only issue I see with the idea that if you normally have good attendance you should be authorised a 5 days holiday, is what if I still can't afford a holiday but want 5 random days out cos the museums and beach will be quieter or just 5 duvet dsys as we all fancy some family time.. It sends a message that OK miss 5 days school. If you have money.

It must be very hard for heads to have discretion on these things as they are making value judgements on this trip is ok, but that one isn't. Must be very easy to end up with unconscious bias, too.

But that said, I dont agree with fines. I think it's the wrong solution to the wrong problem.

The problem is that for every family like yours and mine, who genuinely support our children's education woth string attendance, doing the homework and extra learning, supporting the school with volunteering and not taking the piss, there are always those who will.

the school simply report to the council who apply an annonymised rule across the board regardless of how well your child is doing and whether they can afford to miss a week here and there or how much you genuinely support the school as a community.

It is frustrating! Not least as I'd love a cheeky week out and DH is firmly in the "it's against school rules" camp! 😆

My parents did the same. I want to do the same for my kids. And now some idiotic MP came up with a hair brained scheme to fine parents to sort kids truanting. Meanwhile forgetting the fact they don’t treat teachers as well as they could and they’re leaving the profession, we don’t have enough SEN places and schools are falling apart quite literally in some places.
But nah let’s concentrate on kids who may well be getting straight As for all they care but dared to take a week off to go somewhere nice with their family. 🙄

Low attendance yes. Taking a week out for a nice holiday does not. There is literally no evidence for that.
This does nothing towards helping families with persistently absent children.

I totally disagree. And I do attendance at a primary school. Am I jealous of families who go cheaply in term time while I’ve had to save up sometimes more than double to take my own holidays in school holiday time when it’s horribly busy with kids everywhe? Hell, yes. But I understand completely why they do it.

When my eldest was in Reception I didn’t have a school job so we were able to take him out the last week of term. We were absolutely skint, and this was many years ago before the cost of living crisis. We only went to a self catering cottage in Devon but god, we needed that change of scene. DH worked such long erratic hours. We couldn’t have afforded it in school holiday time.

New experiences such as holidays away are so important for small children’s development. It’s just plain wrong to dictate that people just shouldn’t go on them if they can’t go during school holidays. And anyway even if everyone DID go during school holidays there probably just isn’t enough accommodation available.

having said that. I do sometimes raise an eyebrow at people who book a fancy holiday abroad during term time rather than be content with one in the U.K. during the holidays for the same money, especially if that family is always crying poverty and saying they can’t afford to pay their breakfast club bills etc. And 2 raised eyebrows if that parent keeps their kid off at the drop of a hat, so attendance is very low. Triple whammy if they don’t bother to find out when any assessments are and end up being away for those.

but overall, life is shitty enough post covid with a lot of treats unaffordable now. A bloody week in a caravan in Wales in June is not something I would want to deny any family.

No sorry. 1 holiday each school year. So p1, p2 etc

Four holidays in one school year? Seems a bit too much.

Holiday clubs when they were younger.

Now I wfh and they go out to play/hang out with their pals.

The 10 week rolling period, does that mean that if you take child out once a year it is classed as a first offence and then a year later it's still a first offence as the time lapse has cleared

Here's the thing that I can't say without the anonymity of the internet.

We've taken DC out of school for a number of holidays. Both short and long. And other things like theatre trips etc.

Only been fined once but paid it happily as we saved £5k on the flights by travelling when we did.

I can say with confidence that no damage has been done to DC education.

They have never missed a homework, did all school work in Covid. And have been accepted to highly selective secondary schools.

Travelling has only further broadened their minds and desire to learn and explore.

Teachers have always waved them off with an "enjoy your holiday" (we've always been honest)

There are far more kids, missing many more lessons, due to lateness, not going in due to fake illnesses just because they don't feel like it. Etc etc.

We'll pay the fines.

But it feels a bit unfair when those who genuinely value education get fined either because we're honest about our absences or because we want to show our children the rest of the world.

We do school bus some are flying home this week Latvia etc. July prices soar so cant blame parents. We in Dublin.

Is still cheaper than a holiday in the actual holidays. Pisses me right off that all my non teacher friends do term time cheaply, in nice hotels, and we pay more for one generally a bit shit.

It also means that if my friends want me to come on holiday with them, they all have to pay more and go at a set time.

There is a huge amount of evidence supporting the fact that low attendance has a negative effect on outcomes. That is why all these rules exist.

One week out of an entire education won’t make any difference but one or two weeks a year plus normal time off for illness can make a big difference for some children. Some children will cope with absence easily but others need as much school support as they can get. For those children, parents would do better to have a weeks camping in the holidays instead of a week in Tenerife in term time.

Headteacher said fines are aimed at below 90% attendance

Another ons who's glad she's in Scotland! DD has had 2 term time holidays so far and another 2 to come but she's in primary school. Once she's in secondary we won't do it.

But due to our jobs we can't really go anywhere during summer holidays as work is too busy.

It’s also not even proven that missing a week for a holiday has any impact on education and results at 16/18 etc
Its just a stupid money making scheme that I’m pretty sure Michael Gove came up with.

What if you can afford it but can't get time off work then? You get penalized for your job

I really hope this turns out to not be true. I don’t see how they can fine someone for missing 10 sessions if you’ve missed 8! Next they’ll have parents dropping off kids on inset days!

Crikey. I thought the free school dinners for the younger ages was a government funded thing.
So are they saying if you want them you have to pay or they’re not serving them to anyone?