School absence

[Allthegoodnamesaregoneffs]

I requested one day off for my 2 kids next Friday, Im taking them to Legoland for the day. School is based in Essex.

Got a letter sent back today saying the application has been rejected. Now the trip to LL has been booked and paid for etc.

Speaking to other parents, most of them screwed their face up and said why did I bother applying when they could have been "sick" for the day, however I wanted to do it correctly.

It annoys me as there are plenty of other parents who have taken their children out for either 1 or 2 weeks for holidays and that has been fine, yet I ask for ONE day and its rejected.

Their attendance is very good, they have only missed time for positive covid tests, they would have been fine to go in but weren't allowed. Apart from that they are there every single day.

I'm going to be taking them anyway, it's the only little break they are getting this year, can see on some websites that its 10 unauthorised absences that get referred to the LA, and this will only be 2 each.

What would you do? Just call in the morning and say they are both sick, or just say I'm taking them to LL anyway?

I'm not turning it into a drama, and I have said that I won't be calling in sick, I have said that I let the school know that I will be taking them anyway and if it goes down as unauthorised then so be it.

One of my close friends is the one who went for 2 weeks to D/Land, I messaged her after I got the letter and asked her if it was allowed, and she said that holiday was authorised but there have been others that haven't been and she has taken them anyway.

I have no worries about their attendance at any other time, so one day of unauthorised absence wont make any difference to their schooling lives

being of unique and significant emotional, educational or spiritual value to the child which outweighs the loss of teaching time

It's bloody Legoland 🤷🏻‍♀️

Sorry OP but what planet are you on thinking a school would authorise it and to be honest I would be embarrassed taking my kids out of school for the day for this

And as for the overly emotive "they never get to go anywhere like this" it's open all year round Isn't it ie school holidays you have deliberately chosen to take them to an over priced theme park on a school day - an activity that could be done anytime

she said that holiday was authorised
Then she isn’t telling you the truth. Schools aren’t allowed to authorise holidays to Disney Land of days to Lego Land. Look it up.

Head teachers can use their discretion for things like weddings.

Lego land on the Friday of SATS week is a risky game!

They can't authorise what is basically just a holiday. That doesn't mean they can stop you going, it will be marked as unauthorised. If attendance is good otherwise, it really won't be a problem.

If the school authorised a 2 week holiday to Disneyland I will eat my hat unless there is a HUGE backstory like a wedding/funeral, even them utterly iffy

This is my area, there’s no way that was authorised barring life limiting illness of one of the parties

then not them8

Fat fingers! 🤦‍♀️

@Goldijobsandthe3bears agree!

A trip to Legoland is NOT “of unique and significant emotional, educational or spiritual value to the child which outweighs the loss of teaching time"! There are rules about when we can authorise absence and a trip to Legoland cannot be authorised. You say in your OP that others have had holidays for 1 or 2 weeks which were “okay” but they would not have been authorised absences as (in England anyway) we simply can’t authorise that.

I have a situation similar. I wish to take my children 15 and 12 our for 1 day as will be travelling back from long trip away on the Monday. So my question is, do I write to the school "telling" them of the upcoming absence and that I also know it will be unauthorised?

Or: do I write and "ask permission" to do it, only to get told no, and then have to write again to say I'm doing it anyway?

I'm happy to pay the fine if I get one, but attendance is always very good so I'm hoping I wont get one

thanks for any response

Is the trip a holiday or a wedding or similar? Don't worry about a fine, they can't fine you for 1 day

@calmsea I'd go for the 'I'm letting you know, I know it won't be authorised' approach.

thanks for your reply, its travelling to see family for big birthday celebration

thank you, I'll do that :-)