To ask for UNauthorised absence for my DD (also please help me with what to say in letter)

[boringnickname]

My DD is in year two and had 1.5 days off school since she started reception (apart from snow days and a teachers strike). I know its not the done thing and im not asking if i should take the absence, i know IABU. We haven't had a family holiday for three years due to finances and not being able to afford it. We have saved enough clubcard vouchers for a weeks holiday and i have booked it, knowing that the school wont authorise. (School under pressure from ofsted i think).

I mentioned i was going to a friend and she said to just write and ask for UNauthorised absence. But i wonder if this sounds a bit like "well, i know you wont authorise it but im taking her anyway" type thing?

Please don't flame me or get into a whoo haa about whether i should take DD out of school, i just want to know how to approach it. Our relationship with the school is good.

I would just write in and say your DD will be absent from school from X date to Y date and leave it at that.

I was thinking along the lines of "i appreciate you cannot grant authorised absence, but would very much like DD to have unauthorised absence on this occasion. I do not anticipate taking any further holidays during school time" (it took three years to save the bloody CC vouchers anyway!)

crossed posts Hex, i suppose that is better as then there is no room for debate.

Yes, just inform the school that DD will be absent from X to Y dates. You've no need to "ask" for them to give your child unauthorised absence status, they'll do that anyway. Also, by not asking but presenting it as a fait accomplis you've less chance of being expected to explain yourself or being lectured.

Your school might have a form you can fill in that would stop you having to write. I've used them when ds's have had hospital appointments or on 11+ day, but I know people have used the fir holiday as well.

Asking for unauthorised absence seems a bit odd to me, you ask for the time off, they decide whether to authorise it or not.

Just say when your dd will be absent seems a bit pointless to ask for unauthorised absence. Your taking her regardless so they will wither authorise it or not (I don't particularly have any issue with holidays in term time)

You can't ask for unauthorised absence because then it would be authorised. You just take it. Write as Hex said.

write to them asking fo exceptional leave and explain that you have not had a holiday due to finances, hh/p can only get time off in term time (if true) and that you feel it will be educational for her to go on holiday and experience thing that otherr children have opportunity to do. if the school are hot on equal opportunities then try and emphasise that until this opportunity has arisen thenshe has misssed out on what other children have had. explain that the holiday was achieved though vouchers and the dates were limited. you have nothing to lose. if they say no then the absence will still be unauthorised.

Just to let you know you might be fined - its £50 in my area, tbh It's a bit pointless as £50 compared to the saving you make not going in the school hols is a bit of a no brainer.

As others have said just tell them and go from there.

so, not so much unreasonabe, as a bit mad then? :)

I have taken mine out 3 times but they are older and left school , anyway , I used to say X n Y will be out of school on this date for a week , I understand this in an unauththorised , and sign the letter , You will get a letter back telling you this is unadviseable and unauthrorised , but try and not sweat it ,

Blackeyedsusan - thats a good idea, i am just wanting to avoid it being uncomortable, but yes, i do feel that quite strongy, especially as most of the other parents at the school are fairly well off.

Henwelly - the holiday cost us £30, so yes, £50 compared to £500 for a week in the summer holidays is fair enough, although i THINK this is only imposed in this area for repeated offences.

I would just fill in the form (if there is one) or write a letter and explain the circumstances. How many days your dd has had off since Recep, how you have not had a holiday in 3 years due to finances and have saved vouchers and will be taking her out so and so date. Don't ask, just explain.

Oh but do check when the SATs are. Don't take her out during the SATs as it will not go down well with the school. My dd's were in May last year and we were specifically ask not to take hols then, but they were granted in June.

ours are in May too Crumpet, we are going at the end of june which is the latest possible time to use the vouchers. :)

I popped in to ask the headmaster which form I needed to fill out in order to take the children on holiday during school time.
He smiled and asked if I understood that it would be unauthorised and I smiled and said yes. He said "have a lovely holiday"
Job done, form filled in. We go in a month I can't wait!!!!!

Our school will authorise a set number of days off if parents fill in a special form to ask permission. The head looks at attendance, timekeeping etc before making a decision. Check if your school has one.

Go for it. We have always taken time when needed as DS has had to accompany me to work away for a few weeks every year.
Ask the teacher to provide homework for your DD to complete when she is away - I usually found that they appreciated the sentiment then told us not to worry about it, and to have a nice time away.

I would do as others have said and either fill out a form at school if they are available or write a letter saying you will be away. As far as I know it is the EWO that decides about the fine not the school and in my area they seem to take into consideration previous attendance level.

I would check what the fines are for your area, though you may well not be fined ours is £50 per day, per parent, so quite considerable.

Do check what the current fine is in your area. There was talk recently of increasing the fines substantially, but I am not sure if or when it will happen.

I did something similar to this recently - took 12 days off, knowing the head would only be able to authorise 10. I filled in the form and enlosed a letter saying something like "I do appreciate that you are only able to authorise 10 days but I don't want DD to miss out on this opportunity so I understand that 2 days of this abscence will have to be classed as unauthorised". A sort of polite version of saying "I know I'm not allowed to do this but I'm doing it anyway" :) But as you haven't had more than the 10 days anyway then just fill the form in as you are perfectly entitled to ask for the leave. If your Head has already issued a 'no leave will be authorised' statement then write a letter similar to the one I did.

As for the fines, I thought it was a nationwide standard? £50 per parent, per child.

per day???

We were fined £50 for 5 days off when dd was in year 1.

School changed their holiday policy after i had booked (they would authorise ten days now they won't authorise any) but i was still fined.