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Original poster

Primary school one day off.

30 replies

LemonFrosting · 09/11/2022 15:05

Hello all!
I'm just wanting advice please.
Son is in reception year at primary school. I have requested one day off as a holiday (thought I'd do the right thing and be honest rather than pretending he's ill) which has been rejected. I was expecting this, but as its for his dad's birthday, a big birthday, I thought the school wouldn't mind.

Have I got to send son in? I've never been in this situation before and don't plan on making this a habit.

Thanks all!

OP posts:
AriettyHomily · 09/11/2022 15:13

School won't approve 'holiday'. It's not work. You don't have to send him in it will just be an unauthorised absence.

PicsForCliques · 09/11/2022 15:14

Just don’t send him in. Either say he’s ill or on the day just ring and say he won’t be in as we have a family engagement. It’s one day, I wouldn’t even give it a second thought

Comefromaway · 09/11/2022 15:15

Why does he need a day off for a birthday?

A funeral I could understand, or even a family wedding where for some reason it was essential to attend in term time, but a birthday won't be authorised.

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Roselilly36 · 09/11/2022 15:16

Usual for school to reject a holiday request, you won’t be fined, just take child out for the day, school will mark as unauthorised absence. Has your child turned 5 yet? If they haven’t they don’t legally need to be in school, I had to remind school of that once. Enjoy the big birthday 🥳

drspouse · 09/11/2022 15:20

When is he 5? You don't need permission until the term after they are 5.

HideTheCroissants · 09/11/2022 15:22

Even if the school doesn’t mind they aren’t allowed to authorise the absence. A parents birthday (even a big birthday) is not an exceptional circumstance.

We can authorise a day off for a parents graduation or wedding for instance but not for a birthday.

It doesn’t mean you can’t keep him away that day - just that it will be an unauthorised absence (assuming over 5 yo). If attendance is otherwise high good (at least 95% preferably over 97%) then it shouldn’t cause any issues.

Beezknees · 09/11/2022 15:24

You don't have to send him in, no. But I don't see why you wouldn't just celebrate on the weekend or something instead? I wouldn't keep my child off school for my birthday!

Original poster
LemonFrosting · 09/11/2022 15:25

Thank you for your messages! He's not five until next year, so thank you for this info!

I honestly wasn't expecting it to be granted but thought they might do as he's only four. The last bank holiday was suddenly sprung on us (sadly for the passing of the Queen), so I also thought that as I'm giving a months notice then the head may have said yes. I'm not comparing us to the Queen by the way.

@Comefromaway , I don't want to go into too much detail but dh has had an extremely difficult year, past few months especially, so I was hoping a surprise weekend away with some family activities planned would be good for all of us.

OP posts:
OnlyFoolsnMothers · 09/11/2022 15:26

bizarre that you thought they would do anything but deny it. Like someone else said it’s not like requesting leave off work.

dementedpixie · 09/11/2022 15:27

Just take him out
I wouldn't have asked for permission and would have just told them at the time why they were absent.

Original poster
LemonFrosting · 09/11/2022 15:27

No no I wouldn't usually keep him off school for a birthday, but it's husbands big birthday and like I said, it's been a difficult year.

Attendance is currently 100%.

OP posts:
Youcancallmeirrelevant · 09/11/2022 15:27

The law has changed recently i think, headteachers aren't allowed to authorise days off unless exceptional circumstances. It will just go down as unauthorised

Comefromaway · 09/11/2022 15:29

Did you tell the school of the difficult circumstances?

When ds was in Year 9 dh was taken ill and was waiting for a hospital appointment for some potentially life threatening conditions (which thankfully turned out to be negative).

The appointment came through half way through our booked family holiday so we asked his school permission to take him out of school 2 days before the end of term so we could reschedule as a family holiday together seemed important at that time. They granted it but it was seen as exceptional due to the potential seriousness of the illness.

But if your ds is still only 4 yet, there is little the school can do anyway.

Original poster
LemonFrosting · 09/11/2022 15:30

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 09/11/2022 15:26

bizarre that you thought they would do anything but deny it. Like someone else said it’s not like requesting leave off work.

Sorry if it's seems bizarre, first child and so obviously I've never had any experience of this. I thought filling out the form and me being honest with them, that the head may have authorised.

Nieces school has authorised two weeks holiday during school time so I thought one day wouldn't be a problem. They are at different schools though.

OP posts:
loveisagirlnameddaisy · 09/11/2022 15:31

Your local authority will have an absence policy which should include information on fines. Usually not applied until unauthorised absence reaches a certain limit. Wouldn't apply to you until your child is required by law to be in education (age 5).

And schools will never authorise holiday otherwise it would create chaos!

loveisagirlnameddaisy · 09/11/2022 15:32

That said, our head did authorise holiday for one family whose father was very ill.

Original poster
LemonFrosting · 09/11/2022 15:39

Thank you all so much! So it seems like it's not a problem me taking him out for one day as he's only four. Yes I k ow it's not ideal, but I can ask his one to one for the phonics activity they will be doing at the time.

Do I just send them an email and phone call on the morning to say that we are away on holiday and son will be back in the next day? Or do I need to email her now and tell her that I have decided to keep him off due to him not being of compulsory school age yet and that it's only one day.

OP posts:
Hoppinggreen · 09/11/2022 15:41

LemonFrosting · 09/11/2022 15:39

Thank you all so much! So it seems like it's not a problem me taking him out for one day as he's only four. Yes I k ow it's not ideal, but I can ask his one to one for the phonics activity they will be doing at the time.

Do I just send them an email and phone call on the morning to say that we are away on holiday and son will be back in the next day? Or do I need to email her now and tell her that I have decided to keep him off due to him not being of compulsory school age yet and that it's only one day.

Don’t ask them for work, they’ve got enough to do
Just email school a few days before saying he won’t be there, they are unlikely to fine you .

dementedpixie · 09/11/2022 15:42

I'd just contact them at the time

CryCeratops · 09/11/2022 15:47

I don’t think schools are allowed to authorise holidays at all unless it’s very exceptional circumstances.

That said, if he’s still only 4, so not compulsory school age, and his attendance so far is 100%, I wouldn’t expect that there’d be any problems with fines etc.

I’d contact them on the day about the holiday absence.

Hobbi · 09/11/2022 15:47

If he's not four until next year, you're fine. Don't ask them to do extra work though!

Flyingbye · 09/11/2022 15:53

If there isn't a webform for absence then I'd email a few days before. They might want you to also ring in on the day. Ours is all on webforms now so I could just fill that in for any date in the future.

I would also let his one-to-one know a couple of days before.

Don't take the lack of authorisation as a judgement on you. It's not personal, it's just the system, which is set up for mostly over-5s.

HideTheCroissants · 09/11/2022 15:55

I’d email now stating that you are aware they cannot authorise the time off but as they are still not of compulsory school age you will be keeping them away from school on x date and then remind them them a couple of days before.

Different schools interpret the guidelines differently. Some schools use the “accepted place in school so agree to terms” approach so it will be an unauthorised absence and will reduce DCs attendance percentage a little. Other schools will mark with an ‘X’ code for “non compulsory school age child not required to attend” an X code does not have any impact on attendance figures.

Personally my DCs never had time off for birthdays (theirs or ours) and we celebrated big birthdays outside of school hours / at the closest weekend. A good job really as DDs 11th was in middle of SATs, 16th GCSEs, 18th A levels, 21st degree finals! Bear in mind that time off for birthdays isn’t a good habit to get into.

HareThereNightmare · 09/11/2022 15:57

Our kids aunt and uncle (DH’s sister) are getting married out of the UK in January and we tried to request authorised absence for 3 days to attend, which was denied. Seems to be that every school has their own interpretation of what an exceptional circumstance is.

Plumbear2 · 09/11/2022 16:02

As long as you are prepared for it being recorded as un authorised on his school records then you are fine. Just don't make a habit of it tho esp as they get older as 6th form, colleges etc do take notice of the registers.