To be peeved at the school? Can teachers explain it to me?

[CalamityKate]

Wrote a letter to the HT a few days ago, asking if the boys (8 and 9) could have Friday afternoon off for a family outing.

It's the last day of term, they'll only be watching DVD's or something equally end-of-term-ish and all we're asking for is 3 hours off.

HT said no.

Which is fine, but I know for sure that at least 3 children out of DS1's class have had the whole of the last week off to go on holiday!

So what's the score with authorised absences? How is it worked out? Because I'm buggered if I can understand why some children are authorised for days on end, while some are refused three hours

Schools have different policies. Some allow no holiday, some allow 5 days, some 10. It's always at HT's discretion.

I expect the children going on holiday are unauthorised or they've been able to prove a particular need to go on holiday at this time or their children have better attendance records than yours.

Maybe the other families have made a more persuasive case. If the holidays have been booked in advance at great expense, for example, it could be more compelling than a 'family outing'. I'm pretty sure, however, that the families involved will have got a grudging 'yes' accompanied by a lengthy explanation why it's a bad idea to take children out of school in term time.

I can't belive you asked permission from the school to do something with your own children! I'd be telling, not asking.

You will probably find that the other families also had their requests declined but chose to remove them anyway.
All schools in my local authority are not allowed to authorise any days off for holidays. Any request is automatically declined. If you then take the child out of school you get sent a letter advising you of the impact on their education etc. But no other action is taken.

There was a thread on here where in similar circumstances, the mother said that, since the children would all be doing vital educational activities, and she had the time off anyway, she would be happy to go and help in school on the last afternoon. The head subsequently granted her request.

Not sure I'd advocate blackmail, but it is an option.

Depends really.

I know sometimes they will say yes to children leaving early if off to visit dying relatives abroad etc.

Most of them will always say no, and if kids are gone they have not been given permission.

I don't have children yet (one on the way) but I really find this concept of having to "ask" the school permission to do x, y and z with ones own children incredible. I appreciate there are good reasons for it and it is meant to protect children from parents who just don't bother to make sure they attend etc but I really find it hard to swallow. I expect I may ask out of politness but I certainly won't be giving a lot of heed to the answer.

I can't belive you asked permission from the school to do something with your own children! I'd be telling, not asking

Go in and tell him/her that its some kind of special family outing, distant relatives back for the day etc - lay it on a bit thick!!

Catgirl1976 - think you will find that the statutory duty to ensure your child is at school unless HE or sick is yours. Failure to meet this duty is an offence.

Should've gone sick OP

"I can't belive you asked permission from the school to do something with your own children! I'd be telling, not asking."

Agreed. And I have told rather than asked.

cornflakegirl, I love your example of another mother's clever thinking, that made me chuckle.

PMSL at 'telling not asking'

i would suggest your sons come down with a cold on that day

i asked the school secretary if there would be chance of ds getting a friday afternoon off as we were going to ireland to see my dad, she said just phone in sick that day instead

Knitted - I believe that there's a vomiting bug going around at the moment. I do so hope that the OP's son doesn't get it, it would be such a shame if he missed the vitally important last day of term.

:o

Really? Is that the same at all schools? I just can't imagine having to ask someone else for permission to do something with my own child

Yeah and even more of a shame if she was stopped by a truant officer....

catgirl it's the UK law that you have to send your children to school

You can't just take a few hours/days/weeks of here and there at your own leisure and expect the school to be ok with that.

Book a dr/dentist appointment

Well - it seems like there are lots of ways around it judging by this thread :) I can understand the reasons, but if I wanted to take my child somewhere, particulalry if it will be more educational than whatever they would be doing in school that day I would find it very hard to swallow to be expected to "ask permisison".

my DP who is a headteacher says:

(1) it counts in the schools attendance figures which is one of the ways schools are assessed
(2) it makes teaching harder - teachers are there to teach a class of 30 kids not work around parents plans
(3) it is not a good example for the kids

Well you'll have to suck it up catgirl We're lucky education is free

As for fake appointments/illness etc, I don't think teaching our kids to lie is a good idea...considering if they lie to us, they're likely to be punished for it.