Take the school fine or ring in sick for a week?

[mariasgotabrandnewbag]

Just asking as I’m honestly in 2 minds what to do.

it’s only a week but school have made it clear they will fine us for taking our 6 year old out on holiday.

I hate being told when I can and can’t go on holiday, feel like there should be a law against price hikes in school holidays if that’s the case.

What would you do?

Your child will tell on you.
Just be aware.
I’ve not taught a single 6 year old yet who could keep an exciting things like a holiday to themselves.
The tan will also give them away.
School will know you’ve lied. 100%

It’s not the school that issues the fine, so no point lying. It will be on the electronic register.
6 year olds will forget that they shouldn’t mention a holiday and drop you in it.
Holidays are discounted during school terms, rather than prices hiked in the holidays. It’s supply and demand.

Take the fine, lying about sickness will get your caught out

Check your LEA's own policy. Most don't fine for less than ten sessions, ie ten mornings and afternoons. Take them out for four days max and don't take the P.

Years ago I used to find just shifting a couple of days, so Tuesday to Tuesday and just missing two days made a humungous difference to flight prices.

Laughed out loud at this 😂

Depends if you want to call in every day? I would call in 1 day sick, then do holiday for the rest

Just pay the fine, go on holiday and don’t expect the teacher to go over the learning your child will have missed.

I used to write “on family holiday” and the dates inside exercise books. 🙂

10 sessions is 5 days, 5 mornings + 5 afternoons

Don’t your school visit on day 3 of any absence?
Thats how my school quickly finds out who has lied. It’s also awful for the kids, some look massively uncomfortable/embarrassed about lying!

Some schools do safeguarding checks after 3 days absence. They might turn up at your house while you are away.

Ten sessions is five mornings and afternoons.

Agree, take the fine. We had a student who was ‘sick’ for a week, parents phoned in every day, nearly got away with it, until their child posted a picture of herself by the pool on social media and half her classmates had shared it or shown it to teachers by lunchtime! Not fair to put your child in that position.

The fine is such a tiny amount when you compare what you’ve saved by going in term time, I don’t understand why people go through the stress and discomfort of lying to get away with it.

We saved £1500 by going in term time (Eurocamp in Italy) so was more than happy to pay the fine.

Ten is the trigger for the fine. As soon as you hit ten, you’re fined.

Take the fine, don't teach your child to lie.

As for holiday prices, they are businesses. Unless you have children over a very large age range (which really only applies to men who repeatedly dump wives for younger women), the majority of your adult life you have more years where you can holiday in term time.

And that is different to what I said how, precisely?

Also companies are obviously going to increase prices with demand, it wouldn’t be possible to ‘ban’ school holiday price hikes. People are willing to pay.

I think a better solution would be allowing 5 days authorised absence per child for holidays or outings (excluding GCSE years) or perhaps some sort of change for school holidays- eg one week less in the summer holidays but all schools have a random week off at another point in the year that varies between schools.

I read what you wrote as 10 mornings and 10 afternoons so 10 days in total, which isn't correct

@LlynTegid or unless you're a teacher!

Lovely long holidays and no childcare worries yes but perpetually expensive holidays. We haven't been away for years, either in this country or abroad!

I took my 6yr old out of school for 10 days. Tagged onto October half term. Florida. Disney. I Didn't get fined. I didn't call school either. He still managed to pass 11+ and went to grammar school.
I don't regret it.

It's a 'don't teach your child to lie' from me.

The price of holidays is merely a reflection of the supply and demand over different times of year, it's not for lawmakers.

If you take your DC during term time, will you need to pay for more childcare during the actual holiday period?

If you don’t like being dictated to about when you can/cant go on holiday, then home educate?

Problem solved.

Ps. I didn't tell him to lie.

Which is great, for your child.

But it’s not what OP is asking, she’s asking should she make out her child is sick, or pay the fine?

Did you ask your child to lie?

Cross posted about telling the child to lie