Have you taken dc out of school for a holiday

[sunsunpleasecomeout]

Dc 1 in primary and one in year 7 secondary and pricing up holidays and it's looking close to £1000 cheaper to take them out of school for 6 days.

Am I guaranteed a fine? How much would it be? Could I say they are unwell for the week?

You could, many do but most schools figure it out pretty sharpish even if they can't do anything about it.

Fines can apply from 10 missed sessions, which is 5 days. Obviously shorter if you already have missed sessions in the term.

Yes, £60 per parent in the household. We've just done it and cost us £120 from our local authority.

I wouldn’t lie but I have done it.

I’m in Ireland though and the teachers are delighted here though when there is a few gone on holidays, it’s totally different.

Nope. There is very little that would persuade me to take a year 7 kid out for over a week and have them lie about it.

Go somewhere you can afford or choose a different school holiday. Feb half term is often cheaper

In Ireland I think they're only thinking about fines but anyway I regretted it as it was at the end of school year, so they missed a games day, sports day and cake sale! The last two months of school are the best! This year there was a letter sent home saying they had bills like the rest of us but would never jeopardise their children's educations so can parents thinking of taking their kids out remember that. I know it was scare tactics but it was horrible!!!

Yes several times. It’s not authorised by the school but we’ve never been fined for it.

Don’t lie to the school though. They’ll know and your children will talk about it.

So it's well worth it

If you're only arsed about money. And that is per kid. Not my idea of fun to save a few hundred quid, not worth it at all.

Yeah I have, every year since DS started school. Ds has been all over the world (and sometimes just to Spain for a weeks all inclusive!). I’ve never given it a second thought to be honest

Not personally but I don’t have any problem with families that do. Friends who took their children out one December got fined, which they paid, but the children in school were practicing and performing nativity plays or watching Christmas movies and having fun. I felt like my friend’s children probably learned more on holiday than they would have in school that week.

I think it depends really, and every school is different. My kids' school are very much of the mindset that it's important for kids to travel and spend time with their families etc, so as long as you don't take the piss (ie take them out every term for a week!) they don't tend to bother too much with threatening letters home etc.

However I always think it's a shame when kids miss school as they miss so much, especially at the end of term. As PP said, sports days, cake days, movie days etc! One of my daughter's friends missed their last week of year 6 so never got all the nice "goodbye" assemblies and trips out that they do which I thought was a shame.

We've done it almost every year. Only maximum of 5 days and usually take advantage of an inset days, so it's 4. Lots do families do it here and the school are OK with it, as long as attendance is OK. My ds starts gcses next year, so we won't be doing it for those 2 years though. If we had to away in school hols we wouldn't be able to afford it.

I'm a teacher but work in a different local authority.. I have done this!

Also.. if I wasn't a teacher I absolutely would take ky kids out in term time!

@Plunko Sorry to butt in but was that £60 for the whole duration of the time off?
Does it increase the more you take off?

No I never have.

And please don't make it worse by asking your children to lie

I did it once when eldest was in reception, I said she had flu and so wasn't fined but dd was too young to understand and it was the week before the holidays so she didn't realise she had an extra week.
No way would I expect her to lie or do it now she would realise.
In terms of just taking them out and paying a fine, no I'd be to worried about looking bad but I know plenty of parents who feign an illnesses especially as you have to keep them off 48 hours after they were last sick.

If you lie, the school can easily find out. You’re supposed to ring every morning that your child is absent for, so if you have two kids in different schools and you’re taking them out for six days, that’s 12 phone calls you need to make at 8am whilst away and spout utter BS about your child being ill (tempting fate if you ask me). I’ve heard of schools ringing back and getting foreign dialling codes. Many head teachers know each other so if your primary age kid is off and the head is suspicious, they’d think nothing of ringing your other child’s secondary school and asking if Joe Bloggs has been in. If you think all that is worth it then go ahead. But better to be honest and take the fine.

Yes I have . Last October and it was a flipping nightmare
They constantly phoned us in turkey even though we emailed to say she was sick. They emailed because they got a foreign ringtone when they phoned and we couldn't chance phoning them in case they clocked we were abroad
They knocked on my NEIGHBORS doors to see if they'd seen us/ her. They phoned my grown up son and my daughters grandparents !! It was constant.
£60 per parent per day !!! Ffs . We'd never do it again

In laws wanted to take ds, then in year 7 to America for 2 weeks so they wrote to the school for permission and they were fine with it 🙂

I would if I felt it was the best thing for my kids at that point, but mine hate missing fun end of term stuff. I don't have a problem with it at all just don't lie and definitely don't expect your kids to lie.

Don’t lie. The other kids always grass your year seven child up and then you look like a dick

Haven’t done it before but we are in Sept. I can’t take holiday in school hols… and if they can strike all the time; they don’t have a leg to stand on saying I can’t take my child on holiday! I will be telling them (not asking) that we are having a holiday and when to expect them
back.

Yes I have done it and I am doing it again

2021 the family holiday had been cancelled and postponed a lot since it’s original 2020 date due to covid, there was a big crowd of us and shifting and moving dates was becoming a nightmare. My dc and my nephew then had an extended October break and missed 5 days
I was honest with head teacher and she said she would refer me to LA. Heard nothing and no fine

this year dc is missing 4 days after May holiday. I’ll be telling school the truth and if they wish to refer me to LA that their prerogative

Loads of times for various reasons. Some authorised some not but never fined as it isn't our schools policy to report to the LA

@HaveANiceFuckingDay wow! Is that a private school?