To take our kids on hol in term-time

[zozzle]

We are taking our kids out of primary school to go abroad in term-time (end of June) and have been surprised at the slightly shocked/negative reactions I have had from other friends (mums in the playground). DCs are 4 (Reception) and 8 (yr 3).

My friends seem to tow the line more than me though, and admit they don't like breaking the rules. Breaking the rules has never bothered me though if I think the rules are unreasonable!

It will be the first time we will have been abroad as a family since DC were born and it's also partly to celebrate my 40th. We have holiday'd in the Uk for the last 8 years and fancied a change this year.

We can't afford to go abroad in the school holidays and the possible £100 fine we will incur from taking the kids out of school (although DC 2 is only 4 and doesn't legally have to be in school yet - so fine will prob only be applied to DC1) will still make the hol much cheaper than going in the school holidays.

Won't the hol be an educational experience in itself for the DCs? Wouldn't do it in SATs years or exam years. It is a v. middle class school with quietly pushy parents.

I just don't get what the big deal is!

OP, YABU. I am a teacher, and here's why I think that:

1. It's bloody annoying to plan lessons and then not have kids there for them and then have them return and demand "catch up" work.
2. I teach drama. At GCSE and A level, all practical work is done in groups. If one member of a group is off for a week, everyone suffers.
3. In my school, holidays are usually granted, but kids have to come round and get work to take with them. I do not want to have to sort out work for individuals who won't be in my lessons because it is faff, takes time and they rarely bloody do it anyway.
4. I can't take time off in term time. I have to listen to rants about INSET days and the like. If 13 weeks holiday is enough for me (and I have read that on MN so many times, in threads about INSET, strikes etc, then it's enough for the kids too. Essentially, if I can't have a fortnight off in term time to take my DCs abroad cheaply, then why should you?

They are not going to listen Evil

It sounds as though the HT has not granted the 2 week permission, as the OP is prepared to pay the fine.

Which is an argument for both binning the permission (removes the sense of entitlement) and upping the fine quite considerably.

Ooh I do love being righteous. It's so rare that I get to be righteous and cat's-bum-mouthey.

Some people on this thread could probably do with a nice holiday.

lol
Thankfully the holidays will here soon.

Teachers should refuse to do anything to facilitate children going on holidays during term term time.

Either "schooling" matters, or it does not. Either missing a week of school is inconsequential, or it is not.

These minds broadened by their overseas trips would surely relish the educational opportunity afforded by figuring out themselves how to catch up what they (haven't) missed.

I want the OP to come back! It's so rare that I get to enjoy the moral highground. She is fulfilling a socially useful function.

I Don't think you are being unreasonable.
I took my eldest on a work trip with me for 2 weeks in term time in her GCSE year.
I was going to Africa & was spending time with kids in schools there. Didn't know if my DD would ever be able to come with me again, so we decided between us that she should do the trip. School went mad.. Tough! My DD had an amazingly eye opening, emotional and life changing experience. Glad we did it as she got 11 Gcse's ( mostly A's) too.
Life is short, take opportunities when you can, what on earth is an 8 yr old going to miss in school that they won't be able to catch up on in a day or two.
Have a great holiday

I would take mine without a second thought

For kids of this age I would take them in early July rather than mid-June. That way all they're missing is the 'fun and games' stuff and you'll still benefit from a cheap holiday.

Otherwise take them for a week in June and enjoy it. It's envy making people complain. And I'm a teacher.

OK, so presumably you won't mind if I take a week off during term time because the holidays are cheaper.............. oh wait, hang on, I'm a teacher.

Perhaps you wouldn't appreciate me buggering off just before GCSEs?

YABU

Lots of parents take their kids out in term time (quite wealthy) and then wonder why their offspring struggle to catch up on missed work - must be teachers eh??

So in other words YANBU!!!

ps: My parents did this regularly otherwise we never would have had foreign holidays, too expensive for 3 of us in holidays.

Kids missing a week of school in June in primary school is not the problem - it pisses me off that schools crack down on this while genuine truants skive for weeks and months at a time while EWO's and SWs flap ineffectually.

TEACHERS - her kids are at PRIMARY SCHOOL. Obviously secondary school (esp exam years) is a whole different ball game.

fwiw, i took my older 2 out of primary school for 2 years on the bounce for a fortnights holiday when they were little ( early years/ reception ish). i then took them out again when they were in year 4 because we had to cancel our long planned trip to disney as it fell when i couldnt travel due to pregnancy, so we brought it forward from the hols to june.

i absolutely do not think it has had the slightest impact on my kids education- 1 dc in sixth form doing a levels, 1 in year 9 doing well. agree, would never do this from yr 9 but really, i would do it all again!

oh, and btw, my husband could not take time off in school hols during those years- he was a contract worker and most demand was during school hols.

And OP - make sure you come back on here and tell everyone what a brilliant time you all had :o

People will strangle themselves with their own judgey pants :o

Do people ever read the OP ?

I would also take mine without a second thought. Like 4goingon14, I don't understand the English obsession with this issue. My mother let me take days off school. I have a PhD. Ergo, allowing children to "break the rules" does not automatically give them a disregard for education.

As for it being the law, the law is stupid. It's not that I think the rules don't apply to me, it's that I think this particular rule shouldn't apply to anyone. Sure, I understand about teachers' need to be able to plan. Fine. There's bound to be a way around it. e.g. Reduce the total amount of holidays per year by one week, and allow parents to nominate 5 days they want to take holidays. Perhaps require them to let the school know x days in advance. The teachers will then know who's going to be in class that week, and who's going to need to be catching up the following week.

I'm not saying that that's the only solution, or even the ideal solution, just that if there's one solution there are bound to be others, but people who are too busy saying "it's the law, obey it" aren't going to be thinking about how the law could be better. On the other hand, if enough people start ignoring the law, perhaps the policy makers will see it's time to think of a better one.

It's not the same as speeding or shoplifting, those are false analogies. If you speed, you run a greater risk of injuring a person or property if you have an accident. If you shoplift, you impact on the survival of a business and its ability to pay its employees. If you take your children out of school for a week... the teacher might be a bit annoyed. Not quite on the same scale, is it?

Take your children out of school for the week. Enjoy your holiday. And don't let the neysayers get you down.

How is it envy making people complain?

I am footing without (much) complaint the eye-watering cost of a holiday in July/August. So it is not envy induced by not going on holiday that makes me a naysayer.

Yanbu. Of course holidays can be educational. Whoever said the OP is giving her dc the message that education isn't as important as holidays is obviously rather closed minded about holidays. Even if you go on an extremely uneducational holiday, it still has huge value as a period of special family time. I would love for some of the children I teach to have a home life where their parents want to spend quality time with them.

Lovely that you can afford the money and are able to get the time off - lots can't hope

Why is it envy Angelico? Anyone could choose to whip their kids out of school for a cheap holiday, it's just that some of us don't. There's nothing to envy there as far as I can see

At our school parents are allowed to take their kids out.Attendance clearly isn't an issue and parents take their kids out for all sorts of things.All power to them.I was a teacher myself and I'm all for it.It really does have little impact on an education.I know several teachers who jobshare that have done it.

My kids have a fab work ethic and have had practically zero time off.At our school you're allowed to do it so would be breaking no rules.

Travel in this county and abroad is hugely beneficial.It broadens horizons,aspirations,is educational etc,etc.To have never gone away from your own patch I'm sorry is not ideal.The rich kids that can afford to go away are gaining a lot,the poor that can't are missing out.

My kids are stuck with camping in Cornwall in August,if I had the money we'd be going abroad with bells on in term time.Even camping for a week in Aug cost ££££££ and that isn't including the kit which costs a fortune if you don't want to sleep in a leaky,cold tent.This is out of the reach of many families.

Generally imo the people who object to this are those that are rich enough to go in holidays who begrudge others getting cheaper holidays or those that can't even even afford that and feel .I'm in the latter but feel the more kids getting amazing experiences the better.

If Gov or anybody else wants to object to poorer families grabbing fantastic life experiences for their kids then sorry these ridiculous school ski-ing trips,or other expensive school trips that cost £££££ and only a few can go on need to be stopped as clearly if no benefit comes from travel and missing the whole curriculum then a week abroad for one subject isn't on either particularly when only a few rich kids can go.

The thing is this rule was never set up to stop parents taking their dcs out of school for a week holiday once in the year.

It was set up to be sure that children whose parents couldn't be bothered to take them school felt they had to. it's for parents who thought that not ensuring their dcs was at school and not hanging round in town would take some responsibility.
the same reason why you will have to have a meeting with school if your child misses too many days at school, even when it's for health reasons.

Funny how a lot of people on MN find this last one interfering and completely out of line but think the first one is good and should be enforced eve more.

And I am not sure I get the line 'well I can't take hols during term time so you shouldn't' . nothing to do with the child, how he would benefit or not. Not it's just about the teacher and how much work they do etc... A bit of jealousy going on here perhaps?

What's the point of teachers coming on and suggesting they start taking term time holidays? The op isn't a teacher .

I'm a teacher, next academic year I will be on maternity leave, and guess what I've already booked a ski holiday in term time. I will be taking my year 1 child out of school for a week.

Exactly Rockpool - that's what I mean by envy Noqontrol. There's this attitude of "I paid full price for my holiday in August so you are in the wrong taking your kids out of school on holiday on the cheap." Not saying that's the case with everyone but some of the most strident whingers are just bitter that they don't have the balls to do it themselves. They also miss the point that for some people it is the difference between having a holiday and not having a holiday.

And I say that as a teacher, knowing I will be stuck in school teaching and never be able to do it - :o

Plasticpeople - me too! I'm on maternity next year and will be taking our baby daughter away in May and June :o - can't wait!