Term time holidays

Schools have lots of holiday time. Take your family away then.
If you can't afford to go abroad, don't go abroad.

May half term is still really expensive. Sometimes flights are more expensive than August depending on when you go!

Yes, sorry, I clearly just wasn't reading properly! I think there needs to be a distinction between being late and being absent.

It used to be at a head's discretion, so they could give permission if it was the only time parents could get time off, or an autistic child needed to go when it was quieter, or that's when someone had offered them free use of a caravan that meant they could actually afford a holiday at all.

The problems with that were that people felt entitled to claim it so they could go on a more luxurious holiday than they would be able to afford in termtime, and headteacher's discretion must have made it hard for them - especially if they felt it should be authorised for one family but not another.

I wonder if it would be better if term-time holidays could be sanctioned by application, with a decision made at one step removed from the school - either someone at the LA, or perhaps a neighbouring head. Then if a head feels there is a good reason, they can support the application, but if the answer is no, then they are merely conveying the bad news, rather than being the killjoy saying the ski-trip isn't a good enough reason.

No kid needs to miss a week of school and learning for a week in Tenerife.

I hope they enforce it.

Ahh, found the 3 year thing -

"In the case of repeated fines, if a parent receives a second fine for the same child within any three-year period, this will be charged at the higher rate of £160.

Fines per parent will be capped to two fines within any three-year period. Once this limit has been reached, other action like a parenting order or prosecution will be considered."

(From gov.uk)

You can still take 4.5 days off in a 10 week period without being fined, which is the bit I personally find reasonable.

Meh. Can't get worked up about it myself. Holidays are not a life essential.

Also inset days are included. So the school puts in an inset day. You take that week off and the inset is 2 sessions. Even tho school is not open to pupils. Again, BATSHIT.

Yes I think so.

People talk about the cost, but that's in the summer.

People seem to forget that there's half term as well.

I much preferred going away in May half term - cheaper and better weather. A couple of times we took ds out of school on the Friday so that we could get a slightly longer break especially if the Monday after half term was an INSET day.

With the climate being all over the place, it's quite likely that February will be a nice time to go somewhere like Cornwall anyway!

There should be discretion for people in jobs that don't allow flexibility like being in the Army and for things like weddings, but otherwise people just need to be a bit creative.

Is this just England? I have friends in wales and they're allowed a 2 week holiday every year outside of holidays and no fines or issues with it.

I didn't see the three year thing mentioned in your screenshot, and I haven't seen it mentioned elsewhere previously either. If it's within a three year period that's quite obviously utter insanity 😂 If it's a 10 week period I think it's pretty fair and reasonable.

Either way, I'm quite glad it's going to be the same rule for the whole country now! The different rules have been a pain in the arse for someone like me who lives right on the border between two different local authorities with very different rules. It's caused a lot of unnecessary confusion!

And our junior school marked a child's absence as unauthorised for his grandad's funeral. BATSHIT.

We've always taken ours out and paid the fine but probably won't now because of the court bit. What we will do is take them out just before of after school holidays by less than 5 days. Still cheaper but no fine. Assume lots of people will do this and then they'll start fining after 15 mins of missed school. If you're not repeatedly off I personally don't see the issue at all.

Haha! Me too!! Haven't been late yet but my kid is only in reception so there's soooo many more opportunities

Let's just say I'm very grateful the register isn't until 25 mins after their official start time 😬

Also, the absences include lateness after the register closes - which is sort of understandable, I get it - but a friend of mine has 3 children at 2 different schools and one child has additional needs which means that not unfrequently she physically cannot leave the house on time and someone is going to be late. Not every day, not by very many minutes, not always the same child but I'd reckon over the year it'll all tot up. I do understand it's disruptive for the school to have kids tricking in but she doing her absolute best and I feel there's no leeway in the system for cases like this.

Yeah I just used to say they were sick.