Term-time holidays - what's the worst that could happen?

[CallaLilli]

We're looking at holidays next summer and it's utterly infuriating how the prices get put up during school holidays.

I realised that going where we want to in August would cost about £1200 but doing it at the end of June would cost around £800.

Has anyone done this and not been fined by school or had their child penalised in some way? DD is only in reception (but it'll be after she turns 5), so I'm not sure she'd miss a huge amount. And even if we were fined, it would still work out cheaper than if we waited til August to go away!

And a criminal record. Don't forget that.

A criminal record? Seriously?? Bloody hell, I didn't know that!

No you don't get a criminal record. Fgs.

They may fine you. If they do, pay it. That's the end of it then.

We took DCs out for a couple of weeks. Got a letter saying they were watching their attendance for 6 months. That was it.

A criminal record
I take mine out every year for a week, the price difference is staggering. We usually tag it onto the late May half term. I've never had a fine nor any consequences other than my child missing the class photo.

Usually take mine out for a fortnight in October, no fine.
And I have never been on Crime watch either.

Whew! I looked on my local
Council site and it says you might face prosecution and a fine of up to £2500 but I assume that's for serial truancy. A £60 fine seems more common and if we still save £300 on a holiday after that, I'm not too bothered.

Our local authoritiy it’s £60 per parent and child so a family of four would be charged £240 pounds!

They can fine £60 per session per child per parent.

So for 1 week, 10 sessions = 60 x 10 x 2 = £1200 (you did ask for worst case)

More likely they will do 1 fine for the whole week, but still per parent, so £120.

DP recently had a case before him of a parent who didn't enforce her DD going to school. She definitely has a criminal record now.

Surely that's for persistent truancy rather than a single term-time holiday?

You asked for worst case - but yes that particular case was 67% attendance.

They don’t put prices up during school holidays (or so they say). They discount them during term time.

If her attendance is brilliant usually then I say GO and have the holiday while she is 5..... soon she will be doing all those stats and exams so best to do it when they are young and wont miss out on as much (waiting for someone to seriously have a go at me now for how much 5 year olds learn in a week.....)

They will say she will miss out - I missed out on holidays when i was young, would rather have memories of a sandy beach than school tables and condensated windows from the rain and that big bin bag they kept spare clean knickers in.

"So for 1 week, 10 sessions = 60 x 10 x 2 = £1200 (you did ask for worst case)"

No it wouldn't be £1200. It is usually per parent per child, not per session as is very often incorrectly quoted on here.

2 parents will mean £120, more than one child, then X accordingly.

Also depends when she is five. Compulsory school age is the term after you are 5 so if she is April onwards then CSA is technically September. You can look online and see how often authorities issue fines. I'm a teacher and in my experience they are largely, but not always given to repeat offenders or whena holiday makes attendance dip below a certain level (93% I think)

Our local authority doesn't actually issue fines anymore so you may not even get fined OP. And ignore the 67% poster, 1 holiday isn't going to do that! My DCs were off for over 2 weeks and still had over 95%.

@katycb Unfortunately she's February, but it's not like she's sitting her GCSEs!

I've taken both of mine out of school for the last 3 years, dd is currently year 3 and ds is currently year 11.
We have tried to work around it with half terms etc but even though they in both at school in the same borough, their holidays vary.

Both dc have excellent attendance which does help.
At my dd's primary they said that 5 school days normally triggers a fine. We've never received one.

At ds's secondary I've written a letter on every occasion. The first year 2016 it was actually authorised, last two years it has been unauthorised but again no fines.

Next year though it's ds's GCSE's so we are waiting until he has finished before going away.

The worst that can happen op? A fine. And then I don't know anyone who's received one.

I wouldn't do it, although I have occasionally taken them out of school for a day (eg for a treat day after the 11+). I don't think I would have the gall to take them out for one or two weeks though!!

I've taken my out for holidays and it does happen quite regularly at the school my children attend. I've never heard of anyone getting a fine in real life. I think it really is for persistent truants or people who struggle to get their children to school every day. We just get letters if child falls below 95% attendance telling us off!

Hi, teacher here.

Term-time holidays aren't ideal, because children do miss some learning - even in Foundation. But I can understand why people do it, because the price differences are ridiculous.

If you really can't afford holidays during the school holidays then I'd suggest the last week or 2 of the summer, just before the summer break. This is probably the time when least real learning goes on - apart from the week before Christmas.

Thanks @cariadlet that's useful. I wouldn't want her to miss the last couple days of school but they break up on a Tuesday so I think the week before would be fine.

No one can tell you if you'll be fined as there are too many variables. Who knows what your child's attendance will be like between now and the holiday?

How long are you going for? What are their attendance levels like? Are they doing well at school or not?
Do you have any recent school reports? What sort of things are being said about them on the reports? Have you heard good or bad things from their teachers or not? Are they managing to keep up with their school work and homework in general or not? How do they behave in class?
How old are they? Have you thought about this carefully? Personally I think that it’s not recommended. Why take a unwanted vacation for no reason?

My local primary school doesn't fine if you take one week (although they don't broadcast this). If you take two they do.