To think school have said no for my child absence for a family holiday

[HidingInTheBathroom]

We are going on holiday next month. My DS (8) school have refused the leave.

I handed the form in yesterday and got a reply today. I wouldn't mind but he never has time off school. He has not had 1 day off this year and last year he had 1 and half days off because he was sick at school and was still poorly the day after.

We have never been on holiday in school time and out of all his school life I think he has had a total of 4-5 days off ill.

They say if I take him I could get find. Going next month so my DS will be off school for a total of 10 days. We have been waiting for this holiday for 4 years.

AIBU to think they should off not refused this absence.

I actually think your school is being unreasonable. Your child is 8! 2 weeks is a lot of school to miss and it should be your responsibility to make sure your child makes that time up but it is hardly going to be detrimental to your child in the long term.

I'm a teacher in a secondary school and was shocked when a year 10 student was given permission for a 2 week holiday for 2 weeks in September. She has targets of Bs and is in her exam years so there is no time left to make it up. If she gets permission when it is detrimental to her education it seems bizarre that your DS doesn't.

Personally I think quality time and special times with family are very important for a child's social development. If you have to go in term time or not at all then go in term time! Happy memories really are priceless.

Weel said Catherine u r correct

It's fair enough they have refused it, since 10 days is a long time and it is only a holiday.

However, you can pay the fine and still go away, so I don't see a major problem. Since your son has had very good attendance so far, hopefully he will be able to catch up easily.

"Anybody can afford camping"- what a totally ridiculous thing to say.

We go camping in Cornwall every year in August and pay £300 for a tiny patch of a field.Given that it rains constantly we spend £200 more on stopping us all go mad.We also have approx 1 and a half grands worth of kit.Errr no everybody can't afford that actually.

Also this was the last year.10 days in the rain does not a holiday make.Next year we'll be going somewhere warm in June as thankfully at our Outstanding school we have a sane head who values the rounded child and doesn't refuse family holidays.

Not the slightest bit concerned about the dc missing anything as in the 70s there wasn't this bonkers rule and we all survived our education with the odd week off here and there.

Mrs Heffley then you're going to the wrong sites - if you camp wild in scotland, for example it doesn't cost a penny. We spent a week in Pembrokeshire right next to the beach and spent less than 60 quid for 2 adults and an under 2 for 6 nights.

Of course, if you want an electrical hookup and other stuff like that it gets expensive

We camp in Cornwall as petrol too expensive to go further. Pitches in Cornwall are going up massively due to demand.They are booked up v quickly and our site was v basic,our pitch was no hook up but we have a big tent and 3 kids.We also need to be a beach so we can walk thus avoiding further petrol costs and exorbitant parking fees.

Sorry wild camping would never be on my list.10 nights in a tent is bad enough,10 without a loo and a hot shower with 3 young children-quite frankly I'd rather eat my own hair.

Incog,have answered.

Sorry had wine so bit slow on the uptake,thought you were trying to say I have pmt!!!!!

OP said hubby could only take 2 weeks off in November, she didn't say he couldn't take time off of less than 2 weeks at other times of year, I wasn't aware camping had to be 2 weeks off, camping could be a week off, a weekend off.

You don't have to have 1.5k worth of equipment to go camping either, you can rent everything from a company such as Eurocamp or Vacansoleil. As a family of 6, it's nearly always cheaper for us to rent a static tent from any of the big camping companies such as Vacansoleil or directly from campsites, rather than to bring our own tent, as pitch fees for tent + 6 are usually more expensive per night than the Vacansoleil tents.

Here's an almost year round campsite / holiday village you can do from the UK for a weekend near to Paris, as an example of excellent accommodation at minimum cost.
www.yellohvillage.co.uk/camping/yelloh_paris_ile_de_france/our_rental_accommodation

I think taking your kids out of school for a bit pales in comparison to being a nasty bitch over someone's disability.

PMSL at Eurocamp being a "cheap" option.We always went with them and Canvas when I was little so looked into doing the same in August with my kids -OMG the prices!!!!!!!!!!! It's hellish expensive hence us buying our own tent.I have a lawyer friend that couldn't afford the prices.

We couldn't even afford camping in France in Aug with our own tent-ferries,tolls,petrol,campsite fees it's way out of most people's league.

Also I've camped for a variety of lengths.Anything less than 10 days is too exhausting imvho(and that of most of my camping friends).The packing of the car,the pitching,the practicalities of dealing with kids in a field.Sorry to pack up after just one week it's just not worth it.I find 10 days or above you get 5 days when you can actually start to relax.

And re the price of kit. Big waterproof tents that stay up in a gale cost £££££. Sorry freezing my arse off in a leaky tent with crap sleeping bags aint my idea of fun. When you tot up the price of a tent,footprint,cooking equipment,sleeping bags and all the other essentials it's ££££££ and far more than many families have.

My dad always said(when I moaned) camping isn't a cheap holiday-he was soooo right.

Wow never realised how far this thread had gone.
Thank you all for your comments. Good and bad.
I went camping as well when I was little there was a large group of us went to Spain from our street. I loved it.

Jade I think the comments you made have been crude especially when you do not know the facts about me. Also it had nothing to do with the thread.

Will have to pay the fine there is no doubt.

Any way my kids are sooo excited and I'm not going to let anything spoil it.

A weekend in Paris-seriously who would spend money on ferry/train,petrol,accomodation for a weekend.God knows what time you'd get there Fri night,then you come back Sun.My kids would be so knackered they'd be crap at school and in dire need of a week off .

As it is 3 weeks into term with not a single day off all my 3 are exhausted,racing off to Paris for the weekend would just cause a meltdown(mine and theirs)?????

Enjoy Hiding,I'm very as I suspect are several others hence the vitriol.

I must have missed who said Eurocamp was cheap because their prices are nearly always the most expensive of all the camping companies. Last 2 times we used Vacansoleil, as I said £83.33 per person for 12 days camping in France from 18th to 30th August, there would be very few people who could not afford that. The only part you'd have to add on to what we paid would be up to £80 per CAR not person return with Eurotunnel, sometimes cheaper by ferry. We drove 600km to the Jura from where we live but from the UK, depending on where you live, you could drive less distance and go to a site in northern France.

Depends on where you live if you think Paris is too far, we're heading to the UK next month as the children have for 2 nights, 3 full days, in a London Marriott, total cost £100, £60 diesel, £40 ferry, hotel paid with Tesco vouchers, that's £16.67 per person.

£83 per person,very few people who can't afford that-seriously !!!!I think you live in a different world. How rude.

That is £416.65 + £80(I've never found a Eurotunnel ticket that cheap)+tolls+petrol+extortionate French food prices.Let alone spending money.Sorry I for one can't afford that.

If you go to Brittany you need the Brittany ferry which is hellish expensive or massive petrol bills.

There is a reason that many people can no longer go to France it's too expensive,maybe not to you but for many others.

I don't shop in Tesco(too expensive) and sorry I don't have the money to waste what little I have on a weekend in Paris.My in laws live in London and we've had to cut down on visits to them because we can't justify the price.The whole point of holidays is to relax,if I waste all our spare cash on weekends throughout the year we will simply not have the money to spend on a week to relax.

There are many like me and those that judge are those that can afford to holiday in August.I for one can't so I will be taking my kids out in June next year as I value my kids experiencing life away from their locality.And yes we do eat local food and speak the local language(the inference that all of us that can't afford August prices are content with the Costa del Sol is insulting).

Sorry but a section of society never being allowed to give their kids the experience of trips away from home is deeply wrong.It gives kids aspirations and much valued life experience.Families are struggling at the moment and I begrudge being told by a gov who holiday is Tuscany,ski slopes etc and whose kids actually attend private schools for far less days a year than mine and can thus enjoy cheaper holiday prices that I can't take my kids out of school for 10 days.

Mrs Heffy If you can't afford £500 for 2 weeks camping, how can you afford Florida even out of season?

incognito I've not complained on here about being restricted to school holiday times due to being a teacher. You're muddling me with someone else. I was merely pointing out that if people want to take their children out of school (and I sympathise with why) then they just need to be clear that they're making that conscious choice and ought not to expect the school to approve it with a pat on the back and a homework pack from the teacher.

DH is a teacher, we don't have a choice, so yes YABU. Very annoying if kid in your class skips your lessons to sit in the sun. Gave up with foreign holidays when he trained. We camp in UK now.