unauthorised holiday ...so cross

[lostlilly]

5 days I requested, I finished my degree last year and we havent had a holiday for 5 years!!! my dd is SO excited about going on a plane she burst into tears when I got the letter saying unauthorised. It states her attendance is 100% but it is unauthorised. I am really cross, we have to pay a fixed penalty, as if anyone can afford that at the moment!

Micky the reason we need these 'nanny state' rules is because of situations like this.

If every family took there children out of school for a fortnights holiday during term time every year, then it would be incredibly difficult for the teachers to teach effectively and for the class to reach the standard they are supposed to. This would obviously have most impact on the less academically capable kids, which may not be the ones lucky enough to be going on holiday every year.

If people didnt value their own self-interest above evrything else, we wouldnt need 'ridiculous rules' to protect everyone else

Why do you think the rules are in place?

For those saying "It's not right they charge so much more for the school holidays" and being of the opinion 'something must be done!' - what would be done about it is term time holidays would increase in cost, not the other way round.

The rules make sense, because most parents will obey them so for the majority of the year they'll have most of the children in the class.

Well how do you think the rest of us manage to survive without those sorts of rules? Not to mention having higher literacy, numeracy and science scores at every level than the UK. Not really working for you, the rules, are they?

Children need nanny rules. Grown ups are meant to have the wit to manage their own affairs.

They seem to be in place for the sake of Ofsted ratings though, bejeezus.

If attendance was not linked to the school's performance then teachers would have more discretion to agree term time holidays provided the parents are being reasonable.

SCROOB Ok, so why do you think they are considered in the ofsted rating? why do you think they are linked to school performance?

attendance, i mean scroob

you cant lay that on the teachers scroob

they would spend their whole time arguing with parents about taking kids out of school/ who was reasonable/who wasnt etc...

clam what is the point of copying and pasting a small part of my post and taking it out of context of the whole post? if u read the whole thing you would understand that i was suggesting the whole system should be radically changed to bring it in line with modern times...obviously there would be cover the entire year long from subs students whatever (just like in any other profession)how else do they cover maternity and sick leave...and if not affordable to implement then the authorities should just butt out of people's lives

lots of replies some for, some against. I understand how difficult it would be if lots of children were missing 2 weeks of school here and there. As for expensive out of term time holidays, there seem to be lots of people making assumptions here...for the last 5 years we have been camping in Wales or Norfolk, mostly were lucky to get 1 or 2 days if fine weather, it normally costs a few hundred pounds by the time add up camping sites fees, food, petrol, entertainment (especially when its raining) and although I love camping I just wanted a decent sunshine holiday and all the while I was studying and only working part time I promised dd that when I finshed and was working full time we would go on a plane somewhere warm. That is what I am doing!
I dont blame the school its all about targets and government pressure I just don't like being made to feel like a criminal being issued fixed penalty notices for have a one week family holiday. Also, yes it is my duty to ensure my child attends school 100% of the time.......and that is what I do!!

bejesus, the rules ARE ridiculous because they dont take into account that actually, most parents wont take their children out of school for two weeks every year. They will probably do what I am the OP are doing, once in a blue moon. Most parents, like me, like the OP, ensure their children attend school regularly (my child has had 1.5 days off in three years, apart from snow and inset days) so i don't see why we should be penalised for the minority who don't do this, because This is why these rules were introduced. To try and prevent repeated truants. It is beuracratic (sp) laziness to just put a blanket ban and then try and out that its the schools decision, when really it isn't. This makes it difficult and awkward for the school when they say no.

lostlilly go and enjoy your holiday - you and your family deserve it, oh and congratulations on your degree, well done xx

I asked DD's school for 5 days off in term time & they ok'd it because her attendance was up to standards. Only thing I mentioned was that it was DD's birthday & we werent leaving the country soo that also may be something to do with why yours wasn't authorised op.

Emmielu, it just depends on the school - my DDs school haven't authrorised any absences this year because they slipped an ofsted grade in the last report. Ironically attendence wasnt questioned, the tendancy to rely on worksheets was the reason for the drop. And also, the criteria were quite stringent the examiners seemed to have a problem because it is a catholic school this year. I can't see how the abscence being in or out of the country matters.

schools with field trips to wherever and ski trips etc are such hypocrites.

I like the system we have here, if you pre-arrange it and take work and the child completes the work by a set time and turns it in then it does not count as an absence. Schools discourage too much of this, but one trip a year seems to be fine.

Personally I think that my kids learn a tremendous amount when we travel. Last year during our 8 day trip they went white water rafting, saw various rock formations and learned about how they were formed. Ate lunch next to elk at 12,000ft and learned first hand about how altitude affects your body's ability to exercise. They listened to jazz for the first time, they learned how herbal tea is made and about the ingredients that go into it and they visited ancient cliff dwellings and climbed down inside of one. Please tell me that a week's ski trip with school would have been more educationally valuable than that, yet parents are some kind of selfish-edcationally-depriving-monsters if they take their kids out of school? I think we should recognise that children do not just learn inside of a classroom.

Hopandaskip
"schools with field trips to wherever and ski trips etc are such hypocrites."

field trips normally encompass the whole year or teaching group and are classed as "educational" (All children go)

ski trips etc. in all of the schools that I have worked have been during holiday time, the reason being that they are not "educational"

if the ski trips etc where during school time then the school would have to fund places.

As for the OP:-
the school only authorises or refuses to orthorise absence. They cannot tell you that you can't go.

In the last 12 months dd's former state secondary school has closed on three separate days due to strike action. If the teaching fraternity believes it is acceptable to disrupt the education of young people by withdrawing services in breach of contract for three days of more in a twelve month period, they cannot reasonably expect to retain the authority to declare planned leave in term term as unauthorised.

Oh get over yourself. It's nothing to cry about. Take your holiday. You didn't seriously expect it to be authorised did you?

Marriedinwhite, it isn't the 'teaching fraternity' who decide whether or not to authorise an absence. It isn't up to teachers at all. It comes from above.

I think we should recognise that children do not just learn inside of a classroom.

LAs are only interested in your child being in school 5 days a week for 39 weeks of the year. Before and after school, weekends and the other 13 weeks are great times for learning outside of the classroom!

i beg to differ boneyback

my son is in p6 in a p6/p7 mixed class
last week during term time the p7s (that could afford it) paid to go on a 4 night outdoor pursuit trip. the p6s and the rest of the p7s stayed in class.
the P1 and P5 teachers accompanied them on the trip and sub teachers were brought in to cover their roles

a couple of years ago my niece year 10 scrimped and saved £600 to go on a ski trip which was also held during school term - limited places and if ya can't afford it ya don't go - £600 would take a family of 4 on a haven holiday or something

my step daughter has also been on ski trips during term time and my sister went on a geography trip to italy for her a levels accompanied by 3 teachers during term time

these 4 examples were over 3 different schools

so not only do they take pupils away during term time but they also take teachers away from the classroom too

Boney that isn't true.At our local secondary there are all manner of "educational" trips that cost £100s and most can't go.I know because I have friends in the school. Even the activities on the enrichment week were extortionate and out of many parents league.

Now sorry but if the elite few can bog off for lovely trips as and when in the school term I don't think schools have the moral right to turn down holidays for families that otherwise couldn't go anywhere and which will be a huge benefit to that family as a whole. Holidays give families the chance to bond,experience and yes engage in educational activities just like on expensive school trips.

The more children who have the chance to experience holidays/trips with their family the better. Lets face it if holidays weren't beneficial the rich who can afford holiday date holidays wouldn't go on them.

I hate this snobby attitude that the poorer,lower class kids just aren't worthy of experiences many,rich and comfortably off kids enjoy on a regular basis. Said kids are expected to just put up with never ever experiencing anything outside of the school 4 walls for which they should be eternally grateful.

I don't give a flying f* if little Jimmy down the road goes ski-ing,or on a plane for a week during term time. It's a week and having been a teacher myself I know I wouldn't even notice. Kids adapt,the world doesn't begin and end with a loss of a weeks schooling. Many kids are off sick for longer.

Maybe if the government want to combat people taking their children out of school for holidays they coudlnt otherwise afford, they should address the issue by legislating to prevent holiday companies charging ridiculous premiums just because its half term?

lostlilly go and book your holiday and enjoy the excitement it brings you and your DD...Have the fun is having it to look forward to. let us know when you book so we can all be jealous!!

*half the fun

And to goawaybob "when she has an inset day - schools dont seem to mind having those when they COULD just as easily to their staff training in the holidays" INSET days already come out of holiday entitlement (for teachers). Many are tacked on to the end/beginning of the children's existing holiday, but one or two have to happen mid-term due to the limited availability of trainers and so on

Well said. I'm sick of that ignorant old chestnut coming up time and time again. Teacherslost 5 days holiday when mandatory INSET days came into being. I just wish some people would get that into their heads and stop coming out with bullshit about teachers training in the holidays. The days pupils are in school are what they have always been.