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!

We are going on holiday at the end of October this year. Ds7 in yr 2 will miss 2 weeks of school. I handed in an absence request form a few weeks ago fully expecting to get it back saying unauthorised but unbelievably it has been authorised!! He is very bright and does have otherwise excellent attendance plus we had a letter from dh’s work saying he was unable to take time off in school holidays this year but even so, I had been convinced it would not be authorised, so a very pleasant surprise!

I'm taking DS out for 3 days in December for a once in a lifetime holiday. He's 5 and his attendance since he started school in 2017 has been 100%. If I get fined I get fined but I'm going either way. I never do it normally, I go in the school holidays but for this particular holiday only certain dates were available.

I do it every year - dd is now year 2 and I shall do it again this year - I make sure it is towards the end of the school year and I also make sure nothing of significance is happening in school - assessments etc etc - never had a fine but would just pay it if I did. Our school allows 10 unauthorised absences (5 school days) per year before they report you to the LEA

I wrote a letter to the governers requesting sepecial dispensation due to cost, not wanting dd to miss out bla bla. They never got back to me

That’s probably because you didn’t follow the correct procedure for requesting a term-time absence. Governors don’t have access to attendance data and cannot authorise absences. That’s the head teacher’s job.

Not done this, had this once as a child for a family event.

My view on this is that for cultural events as a one-off and for visiting family a long distance away who could not travel to you, it should be agreed.

I don't think fines are the answer anyway. I'd reward those who do not take time off for holidays in term-time when at primary school by placing them higher up in being able to choose secondary schools. Assuming a verifiable way of doing this could be found.

Completely depends on the age of the child and surrounding circumstances.

I did take DD out of school when she was 6 for a few days, without a fine, but with an unauthorised absence, which I was happy to take tbh!

Now she's 11, I probably wouldn't do it. She would fall behind and it would really stress her out and possibly ruin the holiday for her.

Talk to her school head teacher. Then fill out the forms. We don't take our children out in term time usually but this is for a wedding celebration abroad. We spoke to both schools and have been told it will not be authorised but we will not face a fine either. And both schools thanked us for talking to them. My children's ages are 6 12 and 17.

We take DS out of school for 1 week every other year to go to a sporting event that always falls the week after May half term.

So far we've done this 3 times and I'm honest with school about why he's off.

Never been fined or had any adverse effects yet.

All schools are different though.

Everyone I know who's taken a week's term time holiday has been fined. So I imagine this is area dependent.

On the basis the OP is looking at paying a minimum of £800, this isn't a case of no holiday, just not a holiday where she wants.

You have no idea what your child's attendance will be like between now and June either. They could easily have a couple of days off with D&V, 3 days off with a cold/flu and a week off with chicken pox (that seemed to be the normal pattern for most children in Reception in both my DC's years!). That's a couple of week's of missing school before you even think of the holiday.

Different LAs operate fines in different ways. Ours kick in if someone has had 15 sessions (i.e. half days) of unauthorised absence over two consecutive terms (which can be across two academic years - Summer/Autumn terms too). The fine is actually £80, but drops to £60 if you pay it within the first few weeks. It then increases with non-payment, and prosecution will result if it's not paid at all.

I have taken my dd''s out of school between 3-5 days the week before May half term every year since they were 5. They are now 10. No fines, always authorised. One year our school made the week a block of inset days which was great, but didn't repeat it the following year. I queried it, as it seemed such a sensible idea and was told off the record that it had had no affect on attendance as the issues didn't arise from parents having 4 or so days annually during term time but more so the habitual regular non attendees on a Monday or sporadically throughout the term. So who knows! Our school tends to err on the side of sensible and treats each request based on its own attendance levels etc.

The child misses out on a lot of learning. So much is built-on learning, like reading a book and other work revolving around that book or topic, If you have a very bright child they will catch up but for those that struggle, it can really set them back. Steer clear of autumn term and May. Go for late June/July.

The school I work in never gives authorisation unless it's a family funeral abroad for example. The school doesn't fine but passes that decision to the local authority as it is their decision and they usually fine.

If schools are so worried about missing learning, perhaps they shouldn't spend so much time before the end of terms watching films and generally doing fuck all.

Just put the 'fine' money aside, so that you are able to pay it if you do get 'fined' by the Council. And then still go, the holiday will mean more to your child at that age.

I'm a teacher. My dc3 (9) will be having 2 days out of school for holiday in October as schools in our area have cleverly decided to have different half terms this year which means my older dc have different holidays to her.

We'll read every day and she'll enjoy new experiences which will help improve her reading and writing in the long run. I hope I do get fined - I'll suggest they contact the local councillor who approved the holiday date change to pay it.

I never did, wouldn't casually, but with the benefit of hindsight I perhaps would have at primary, not at secondary though. The money we could have saved would far outweigh any fine. I appreciate the schools are under a lot of pressure to keep the % up but as I understand it, that's more to do with tackling persistent lateness/absence because disorganised/neglectful parents can't get the kids in to school on time or at all, week after week after week.

All else being equal, and assuming their atttendance is otherwise great, I can not see what material difference five days out would cause, (especially at the end of term when they're doing naff all anyway as other posters have identified).

If you're after an exclusive secondary or something and it could count against your application I suppose you'd have to be circumspect about it. I wouldn't do it myself with my child now in secondary because they have more work/homework so he'd be potentially falling behind (wouldn't take much - he struggles).

I have done every year from reception to year 6. Fined once - new head teacher, new broom I suppose. Dd is in Year 7 now and I am taking her out three days early in February for a holiday. I saved around £300 on flights doing this. I will take her out next year too but won’t then till after GCSES.

Depends on how hot on it your school is. Technically, you can get a criminal record if you do it three times within the child's time in school. Well, that's how the EWO explained it anyway. Generally, it's £60 per parent per child, regardless of duration of holiday, but the absence has to be longer than three days in length. The fine is halved if you pay within 60 days, I believe. Personally, I wouldn't take a child out of school in term time for a holiday because it really does disrupt their learning. If I felt it was the only way to get the holiday in, I'd look at it from a cultural enrichment point of view. Are they going to explore the history of ancient Rome? If so, probably justifiable. Are they going to sit around a pool the whole time? If so, not justifiable IMHO.

My local authority only considers a fine after 10 sessions are missed. Ds has missed a few days for holidays but these were authorised due to his severe autism.

I've done a week most years, I steer clear of sats and phonic tests as I want the DC to take those. Attendance is great so rarely fall under 98%. My DC are top of the class and working above so I don't worry about catching up. I stick to the summer months post May half term. Wouldn't take out prior as I do feel they'd miss out on key teaching.

If the school isn't over subscribed you could de-register them and then re-reister when you get back.That is the joke of the whole thing

This is a really poorly thought through piece of legislation. It was meant to reduce core absenteeism and if you look at the stats overall absenteeism has gone down - well of course it has because people who took a week in term time now are not. But the people who take the piss and keep their kids off one day a week and go on holidays and take them shopping in school time have just carried on doing the same thing. Still the government can point to the figures and feel smug. I wrote to Gove lots of times about it and sent him the stats and fair to say that no shits were given. we are in a job where we can only go in term time so that is what we do in consultation with the schools and at the time that they say is least disruptive. All this legislation has done is drive up the cost of holidays outside of term time because people cant make a living on 12 weeks a year. So those in private education who get holidays outside of the main 12 weeks pay less and those like Gove who can afford the higher prices get a holiday. it is one of the few issues that is guaranteed to give me the rage. So OP take your child and have a great time. The legislation is a nonsense because yet again it favours those that can afford it.

I wouldn’t worry OP. Your DD is only five it’s not going to have a massive impact on her education. You may or may not get a fine. Enjoy your holiday.

Our school which is an academy, now automatically fines for holiday. You have to request time off, which they refuse, then if you take it, they refer you to the LEA. £60 fine once have missed 5 days (10 sessions). At least that is what the website used to say. Now the council website gives no further info other than we will fine you or take you to court.

They have removed all information that advises you as to what actually triggers a fine etc, so you have no way of knowing.

I was going to take DD out for 4 days earlier this year and would have avoided a fine. That didn't happen and I think I will have to take her out for 5 days and incur the fine.