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

Yeah, can people not use their initiative.

Obviously school isn't going to say 'yeah that's fine!'. But if as a parent you know your child's attendance has been good all year then do what you plan to do but don't be such a baby that you need the school's approval.

Do it, take responsibility, and make sure that your child's overall attendance is good.

all this analysis!!

I cannot quite believe that so many of you think its ok to take your dc out of school whenever you want. The other children will have been taught and completed work that then has to be explained again to children who have missed days. (I accept some children miss because of genuine reasons) but unauthorised abscence disrupts school life.

Yes, of course it's OK. My dc1 scored high end in her standardised maths and english tests in my country (not the uk) and through the whole school year she missed ONE day sick plus the three days that we missed when I made the decision to take her out of school.

Yes it's ok. Of course it is.

I am less bothered by school life than by family life, and I think you're lying if you say otherwise.
You're also missing the point that those of us asserting our rights to do this don't actually do it hardly ever. We are just pointing out that we can if we wish.

Also, our teachers don't repeat work our children miss. After our recent term time holiday (so shoot me), we simply got a note home saying X missed pages yy in this book and tt in that book etc, and we did it at home. No big deal to anyone.

Yes it's ok, we took my ds1 out of school for a month at a time when he was 6 and 9 to go to cape town to visit family, he has just sat his gcse's and is predicted A's and B's so didn't do him any harm , the school said it would be a chance to learn how people in another country with a different culture live

Meh, just don't send him in that day. No need to lie.

I let DS's teacher know at the end of last term that he would be missing the last day, but I let her know as a courtesy - not to ask permission.

One day here and there is not going to make any difference.

To the pp who asked, DS's private school in the UK were fine with this sort of thing, if you were going to be more than a week they gave you some work for the kid to do.

I think there is a bit of a misconception here. You aren't asking the school for permission to take the child out, you are asking them whether they can authorise the absence. They can only do this for a certain set of circumstances. If they do not authorise, it is still your decision whether to accept an unauthorised absence against yout child. If attendance is otherwise good, there will be no consequences to you - you jsut have to weigh up the potential consequences to your children. A long absence in the middle of term will obviously have educational consequences. A few hours on the last day of term may or may not have these: you are the parent, weigh it up for yourself!
In general, I think they should be in school if they are not ill, and I don't take mine out lightly.

Sorry, but I also dont do the asking permission to not send my DC to school. My letters go along the lines of:-

Dear Mrs HT,

I am writing to notify you that DS will not be at school on (insert date).

Kinds regards,

Last year I asked for - and was authorised - a half day on Friday to go on holiday. No problem, all fine and dandy.

Went to pick them up at 12:05 (lunchtime) and the nazi gestapo officer woman in the school office told me they weren't expecting me till after lunchbreak

I cheerily said I was here now and could I have my kids please?

She reiterated that they weren't expecting me to take them till after lunch

I pointed out that I hadn't sent any lunch with them that day because we were eating on the way

She again tells me they didn't expect me to have the kids till after lunch

By this time I was seething and just said "Well I'm here now. Give. Me. My. Kids. Or I will go and get them from the classroom myself"

Unbe-fucking-leivable