Taking kids out of school for a term

Speak to your school and see if they administer admissions. If the LA coordinate in year admissions speak to them too. Some LAs you can apply the term prior to starting so technically you could leave and reapply for the following term. But all LAs work differently and it will depend on whether there is a waiting list.

It’s obviously a cultural thing as it appears that English schools and parents are fixated on attendance and other pointless petty rules and have little appreciation for the value of cultural enrichment.

I think the idea that they’re missing vital learning is laughable to be honest, especially when you consider the poor standard of written English on social media.

Won't work. Offsite education is specifically

A pupil can only be recorded as attending a place for an approved educational activity if:

• the activity is of an educational nature;
• the school has approved the pupil’s attendance at the place for the activity; and
• the activity is supervised by a person considered by the school to have the appropriate skills, training, experience and knowledge to ensure that the activity takes place safely and fulfils the educational purpose for which the pupil’s attendance has been approved.

As set out in the DfE’s guidance on ‘Providing remote education’. pupils who are absent from school and receiving remote education still need to be recorded as absent using the most appropriate absence code. Schools should keep a record of, and monitor pupil’s engagement with remote education, but this is not formally tracked in the attendance register.

There should only be limited circumstances where a pupil is unable to attend school but is able and well enough to continue their education remotely. These circumstances should only involve a short-term absence and might include: pupils recovering from shortterm infectious illnesses, pupils preparing for or recovering from some operations, or pupils recovering from injuries where attendance might inhibit recovery.

Taking a long holiday to meet Grandma doesn't meet any of those requirements.

I think it is worth asking. I know children who have been allowed to do extended holidays to visit family in Pakistan and India

Travel isn't part of school curriculum. With respect, I completely disagree with you

Our school has required several families to de-register their children for similar trips.

With the possible impending exodus of private school children into state schools, I'd be really careful you're not already in an over-subscribed school within easy reach of expensive private schools...

If summer holidays wouldn't be feasible, then you'd be almost certainly looking at being de-registered for that length of absence, and then having to think about whether to home educate or enrol at whatever school has places available.

Some people do home educate for periods of time, and home ed can be great, but it's a big commitment and you need to be confident you can do it. If you'd consider a term or year of home education and then returning to school, you could check out the Home Ed board here to find out more about what it actually entails.

I completely disagree. I was taken out of school to a vastly different culture for an entire year to move abroad (and didn't attend school) and it was the most enriching, educational and exciting year ever. I also returned to school miles ahead academically because my parents did an hour of school every day.

Travel is one of the best ways to learn and have an appreciation for the world around us. The children are at a perfect age to soak everything up like little sponges and will amass memories for an entire lifetime. What a wonderful opportunity for all of you.

I think if @Whenthechipshitthefan can commit to making sure her little girls don't fall behind then it is absolutely fine and they will have the added joy of experiencing a new culture, learning about the world and spending time with beloved family.

Do it!

If it is a once in a childhood trip, I would wait a bit longer. A reception age child is more unlikely to remember a trip like this by the time they are an adult. It's a lot of money to not really remember it later.

If you are in England then there isn’t really any concept of you having a case or an application, it’s not something that can be authorised so more a case of you deciding whether or not to go and if you are going then you notifying the Head. As other have said the rules are strict on this and if taking your children out of school for more than a couple of weeks they will lose their places, there isn’t any way around that or anything for you to apply to that will change that

I doubt you’ll have any luck just asking for the time off for a holiday to visit relatives despite the cultural importance to you, given a half day off for religious observance wasn’t approved. I think, even if approved, these absences would still count against the school.

My understanding (and I’m not an expert so others may be able to correct me) is that schools can approve absences for a child to be educated off-site without it counting against them. This is most often used for children who are long term sick and have work provided, but also for circumstances like children who do child acting where the school is supportive. I believe this does not count

Could you perhaps try proposing that you educate them off site while away, and providing the scheme of work/online school/other resources you would use? I imagine you’d need to try and have them closely match the school’s curriculum.

There is a national times tables test in the simmer term of year 4, so if you do go make sure you use timestablesrockstars or a similar app for daily practise so your child keeps up upon their return.
What phonics scheme do the school use? Most scheme introduce 2sounds a day for reception children Autumn and spring terms, then consolidate in Summer 1 and 2, so again the academic impact on your child depends on when u travel but homeschool accordingly, I'd recommend going in summer term when all you'd have to do is consolidate existing sounds rather than teach new ones from scratch, unless you are a qualified teacher, as 2 sounds per day for 6 weeks is a massive gap in learning for your child otherwise, and this will impact their confidence with reading and writing when you get back. The school would have to teach the missing sounds when you got back so of course your child would then miss out on significant peer to peer playing time, which would be a shame.

Ultimately it's up to you, whether you feel family time is worth it, but of course it will impact your children's academic and general friendships etc. In the short term upon your return to the u.k.

I'd also think about their ages in terms of travel logistics and whether they'd remember the trip, I personally wouldn't do it in term time but if I did would do it when they're in Year 1 and 5, as reception is such a vital time in school and an older child would be more likely to remember the experience with your wider family.

The OP is suggesting going at Christmas or Easter. The Autumn Census is the one that determines funding.

There's nothing to support. As of September, all schools have to link up in real time with the DfE and that level of unauthorised absence would absolutely destroy the attendance data. It's not going to be authorised, so you will have to leave and then hope you get lucky on your return.

One of my parents is from a "25 hours to get there because no direct flights etc etc" country, when I was a child they would take me out of school for half a term at a time to go there and experience the culture/meet relatives. They're some of the best memories of my childhood. If you can find a way I would do it.

You could take them out and home school them, you could then reapply to the school when you're back. But under current guidelines they aren't allowed to keep the places open.

When I was young I got my school work given to me and everything, so I never fell behind! But that's a thing of the past.

To poster saying why don't they come and visit you, I'll bet money it's a proportionately rich vs proportionately small issue and just not realistic.

This is inconceivable to me - year 4? She is in primary school and still learning key skills. Amazed that people are saying go for it.

I’m a secondary school teacher and attendance is monitored with scrutiny. At worst she will be unenrolled - at best, outside educational welfare officer will be in and you will get a fine.

Don’t expect school to provide resources etc - not their problem.

to add - this would never be authorised. No head in their right mind would allow it.

Hi OP,
I can imagine a few countries in South America or the pacific islands which wouldn't be ideal in Uk summertime.
A lot will depend on your head, you can ask the head if it would be better to off-roll your kids or if they would consider an authorised absence. I wouldn't worry too much about off rolling, unless the primary is over subscribed, you can ask the head how many on current roll or look at the school ofsted report which will give you the numbers, any you may have to go on a waiting list, but I wouldn't let that put you off.
Your kids will learn so much, education doesn't have to be in a formal setting, and if you're worried about keeping the education going, there are lots of resources available online.

I know a couple of families who took children out of school for a long stint to travel/ live abroad. I think one went on a sailing expedition for 6 months. In both cases, they left the state primary they were in and went back to a private school.

Just take them our de register from the school and reapply when you come back

you can always just move schools worst case 🤷‍♀️

I think you are being selfish and irresponsible in taking your children out of school for this, irrespective of how long it's been since they have seen your family or if they have never seen them. The absence will impact on your children, their teachers and other pupils.

Awww, it really sounds like you need to spend time in your home country and it's so important for your little ones to see their grandparents and know their heritage etc.

I'd be completely up front with the school and ask them if it's something that can be done? Perhaps they could commit to doing some curriculum work while away so they don't fall too far behind.

I was actually hoping that OP and her family are penguins and were avoiding going home during the antarctic winter (our summer).

Not up to the head, you'll get deregister so then will have to choose from schools which have spaces on your return.

Education is much more than going to school.
Hope you manage to go, OP. It would be wonderful for your children.

A small school would more than likely keep them on roll due to the census.