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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think why are these children not at school?

75 replies

Pigsmummy · 19/06/2013 14:20

I am on holiday in a lovely British coastal resort, the weather is lovely so mid morning we took a walk along the beach and around the town, there are loads of british families out with school age children, ages ranging from 5 - 13 ish. It's term time so I am wondering why they are not in school?

I know that it's none of my business but we are intrigued, especially as it seems so difficult to take children out of school (our DD isn't yet in school but the impression that I get is that schools frown upon mid term holidays and impose fines too).

OP posts:
TeaAddict235 · 19/06/2013 15:50

I work from home and I too often see my neighbors kids at home. Sick? Every week or every fortnight? I think that something is fishy. These are the same parents, methinks, who moan that their kids can't get jobs later 'cause they can't read or write. Controversial I know.

cory · 19/06/2013 16:54

If there are lots of them on the same beach, then chances are it is an inset day in the local schools. Smile

mrsjay · 19/06/2013 16:58

maybe they have just gone on holiday perhaps it an inservice day and they are off Meh what does it matter really. schools here finish a week on friday so not scottish holidays here either

mrsjay · 19/06/2013 16:58

INset* we call them inservice days sorry

mum11970 · 19/06/2013 17:00

Irish schools have broken up already.

mrsjay · 19/06/2013 17:08

HAve they ? when do they go back

ddubsgirl · 19/06/2013 19:19

We have a lot of students at the mo here in Brighton and yr 11 have finished

Tiggles · 19/06/2013 19:21

When I home-edded my favourite part was lessons on the beach. DS learnt to write his letters in the sand, and doing sums by throwing pebbles into pools as his counters.
But probably an inset day.

sarahtigh · 19/06/2013 19:23

scottish schools finish next week we are off from 26th June to 25th august

PointlessPost · 19/06/2013 19:26

When we were expats we used to visit for a month in June/July. It was fantastic. Everywhere was pleasantly big kid free.

We used to go to a swimming pool with a wave pool and have the big pool to ourselves. There were little kids in the baby pool but they didn't used to venture into the wave pool.

freddiefrog · 19/06/2013 19:28

It was probably an inset day

Our school did a whole-school trip to the beach today, ages from 4/5 - 10/11

morethanpotatoprints · 19/06/2013 19:30

"Pigsmummy"

We H.ed our dd and have this part of the year out and about. We go to the beach, forest, zoo, park and have lovely picnics, rambles, fun and games.
Today was art in the park, amongst other things.

redrubyshoes · 19/06/2013 19:36

I hope they have told the school they are not in the otherwise it is an 'unauthorised absence' and can cause the school admin shedloads of problems and phone calls.

battlestarB · 19/06/2013 19:38

our secondary has inset day today

musicposy · 19/06/2013 19:40

Well we're at home because DD is home educated. We go out and about the whole time. There is almost never a day we stay in all day. DD concentrates better in cafes and at the moment we're looking at rivers and drainage basins so we're out by the sea a lot, too. Sometimes she goes out with huge groups of her friends which must look as though the whole lot are skiving off (they're young teens).
I often wonder whether people are questioning why she is out and about. But I don't care - our life is lovely!

lljkk · 19/06/2013 19:45

Does Scotland have the same penalties for time off in hols?

To be honest, around here it's quite common for kids to go for a 1 week holiday in term time. I haven't actually heard of anyone getting turned down.

mrsjay · 19/06/2013 19:48

Does Scotland have the same penalties for time off in hols?

it depends I suppose same as elsewhere I dont know if they threaten fines But we have had 2 authorised holidays and 1 unauthorised usually last week of term they don't refuse but the child is marked as off

VenusUprising · 19/06/2013 19:53

Irish schools are off, even some private primary ones.
12 weeks of holidays, back in September, with lovely empty brains.

mrsjay · 19/06/2013 19:54

12 weeks of holidays, back in September, with lovely empty brains.

bloody hell glad im not Irish Grin

marjproops · 19/06/2013 19:54

mines homeschooled (notthat we ever get to a beach) so we get looks sometimes when we go to a park to read/study/p.e.

having said that 2 boys knocked on door yesterday at 2pm asking (politely) if I wanted my overgrow garden cleared (!) I said no thanks (they looked about 11/12.

when thy went next door for same thing I asked 'does your mum know youre doing this?' they said yes, I didn't think to ask in the moment why they weren't at school, they might have had an inset, but I don't think any school here was closed yesterday.

VenusUprising · 19/06/2013 19:55

Lots of Irish families I know are holidaying in south UK this year, fed up with Ryanair, they're taking an English speaking holiday with no baggage restriction on the car ferry.

wigglesrock · 19/06/2013 20:52

I'm in NI, my kids finish next week. This is the week a lot of families start going away from. I know we would go away from around 20th June if we were going on a "proper" Smile holiday.

wigglesrock · 19/06/2013 20:53

Oh and P7 finish a week earlier than the rest of the school.

LastOrdersAtTheBra · 19/06/2013 20:58

12 weeks of holidays, back in September, with lovely empty brains.

I wish I was Irish!

Cadsuane · 19/06/2013 21:23

"Scottish schools finish next week we are off from 26th June to 25th august"
Back on the 25th? Where? I need to move school I'm back on the 12th with the pupils back on the 14th.
Well at least this time next week I will be free GrinWine free I tell you.

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