To invoke the ‘otherwise’ option for school absence?

@KuanKaKu Why are you trying to persuade people on Mumsnet? You need to persuade the school/LA. You asked if you are being unreasonable and have been told overwhelmingly that you are. Incidentally you don't effect change by trying to wriggle through loopholes to avoid obeying rules that the majority have no problem with. You effect change because the status quo is unjust. In this case, it isn't. You will never get mass support for your campaign. Your child's education is more important than your jollies.

OP, you’ve obviously spent some time researching here, but have you actually had a conversation with the school about this? Do you know whether they are over subscribed? Do you know which other schools in your area may be able to offer your children a place if their current school can’t?

Are you prepared to fully home school your children yourself when you get back from your 2 week holiday until a place can be found? Will you have enough leave from work in order to do this? What school work are you planning to do while you are away?

I think this is a case where someone thinks they’ve found this previously missed loophole to allow them to take their kids out of school in term-time. Because not a single professional lawyer representing parents being taken to court over fines for unauthorised absences had the genius to try this…

@KuanKaKu to be clear, EOTAS is alternative education arrangements for learners unable to attend school (usually for medical reasons) and the LA remains responsible. EHE is a parent taking responsibility to educate at home rather than have a school place. So no, you cannot manipulate holding the school place as others have said to suit you wanting a temporary period out of school
This is CF behaviour.

You sound educated yet lacking in common sense. Yes you can temporarily deregister. But the temporary status doesn't hold a place at a school. It indicates to the local council that it is temporary. But you'll lose your place at the school and it will likely be given to someone else that wants it. As a former teacher I actually think many school staff would agree with these issues, it's not within their control to change though.

OK, I'll try to find small enough words.
Deregistering your kid because you imagine yourself a campaigner will achieve nothing to change the law, it's unlikely even to arouse the curiosity of a Reach hack.
Sending any of your LLM walls of text will only make you look silly to the school.
Education is provided for your child's benefit, not your convenience.

It sounds perfectly clear as far as I can see, I can't see why the school would be offended etc.

I’m getting
“I want a term time holiday but I don’t want it be fined vibes”

hope it works for you op. I disagree with school fines (as a blanket rule with no leeway), I don’t think it will though

You’ve picked the wrong audience. Your request isn’t legally valid. You’ve been told this. You want to protest to get the rules changed, that’s a different system! Speak to your MP join an existing campaign for change, get yourself elected and change the system. Your schools head may agree with you but even if they do your letter won’t help you either get the time off school approved nor will it change the system.

No. You have the options to:

1. Attend state schools in a programme designed for the lifestyle of somebody with a single permanent residence and abide by their rules, or
2. Attend private schools if you can afford to do so, or
3. Home educate.

Traveller communities can;

1. Attend state schools in a jigsaw-like pattern in a system that is not geared towards people who life a multi-location lifestyle 2)Attend private schools if you can afford to do so, or
2. Home educate.

Are you aware of the average reading age and number of qualifications that a somebody who has been raised as a traveller has?

State school provision for traveller education is a desperate attempt to bridge the education gap, not something to be aspired to.

Depending on where you are, absences can now lead to a criminal conviction and prosecution for both parents. Usually if the holiday is over 15 days. Please keep this in mind as this can be the first option even if you’ve never paid a penalty fine in the first place.

Sorry op, both you and your letter sound bonkers.

I am gobsmacked people are putting so much time and thought and effort into finding ways to take their kids away on holiday during term time. First world problems don't get much more first world than this! You are lucky enough to live in a country that provides a high quality free education for your child, and you're complaining because this means your holiday is more expensive?? I have lived for long periods of time in countries where parents would KILL for their kids to have the opportunities you are treating as an inconvenience. I can't even. JFC.

It’s agreeing to their rules and registering your child and then trying to insist the school should give you special treatment and hold your child’s place while you go on holiday that makes you sound foolish. You can’t have it both ways.

I want change, so I voted with my feet, so to speak. I am not involved in this “status quo”.

I am really not sure what the OP is yapping about? Some people do have a lot of time on their hands.

Your children will of course thank you for bouncing them from school to school and for what end?

Send the letter... I can imagine the response.

Dear OP

Thank you for your recent communication, complete with copy and paste legalese. As a headteacher of many years standing, I am very familiar with the law as regards school registration, but it's always refreshing to be patronised by someone who has spent 20 seconds on ChatGPT.

I fear you have confused school registration with gym membership. There is no option under law to temporarily deregister your child for a set period. We do have flexible school policies in place for children who, through no fault of their own, have to have breaks in their schooling, such as for serious illness.

However as your communication did not elaborate on the reason behind your deregistering then I cannot advise as to whether there is a policy in place to suit your needs. If you are able to explain further then I would be happy to talk through your options with you. This would have been the preferred approach to begin with, unless there is a reason why you are withholding information?

As it stands, we have recorded the withdrawal of your child from this school on DATE, however if you wish to reregister at any point in the future then please be aware that they will added to the waiting list and are not guaranteed a place.

"Otherwise" I hope that your child flourishes in their new educational setting, although to my knowledge, Mickey Mouse doesn't have a teaching qualification.

Yours, etc.

School staff weren't born yesterday. Your letters and gearing up for a fight over policy very much suggest that you don't realise this.

I think parents absolutely should be able to withdraw a child from school for a trip that will be beneficial to the child. I think a lot of things fall under that category, and I'd really love to see it possible for parents to take their child on a two week holiday on the basis that they provide to the school evidence that they have seriously considered and planned a programme of activities that will contribute to raising a well rounded child.

As it stands, by all means protest and find ways to try to influence the system to change: but please manage your expectations that these letters are absolutely not going to result in you being able to take your child out of school temporarily and pop straight back into the same school place. You will end up with a MUCH bigger problem on your hands than paying the fine.

Someone clearly has far too much time on their hands!

Clearly; however the OP appears to feel this should be implemented across the state education system and I was curious about how she thought that might be achieved

School may well send social services round , the police may come and do a welfare check and a whole load of public resources may get wasted on someone wanting their cake and eating it.

So you said OP

The state can’t afford to offer bespoke education to suit every lifestyle. If you want that you have to pay for it. There are private schools that offer hybrid education for people in your situation. They do cost quite a bit because they are tailored to individual needs.

It already exists, it's called a good private school with a fuller staffing role than a state school, and it costs to have the school provide that sort of individualised tailored service.

Champagne lifestyles are rarely provided on cider budgets.

Agreed, She seems to think she is being clever but she fails to grasp the fact that it would be harmful to the education of the rest of the class to have others dipping in and out of the system as it suits.