holidays in term time

[ruledbyheart]

Yes probably am being unreasonable but I am looking at booking our first family holiday next year only to a haven holiday camp but thought it would be nice for the DC to have a holiday and for me it would be the first since I was 16, But 2 of my 4 dc will be in full time school only reception and yr1 and I have found out I cannot take them out in term time.

I have looked into the prices and to go term time it would only cost us £150 but if we stuck to the school holidays the price quickly jumps to £450.

I think its disgusting as a family on an extremely low income (less than 12000PA) we cannot afford to go on holiday, factoring all our costs I need to save about 100pm to be able to afford to go in term time which will be very tight and impossible to save enough to go during school holidays.

WIBU to just take the children out of school for one week its not like at the ages of 4 and 5yrs they would miss much or do I not risk it (Ive heard rumours you can be fined?) and have to wait a lot longer for a holiday?

Someone told me this week it will be £100 per child fine, but I don't know how true that is! I guess you could just ring them in sick . Our headteacher has sent out a letter this week saying he can no longer authorise any term time holidays.

Yes you can be fined for any child who's old enough to legally have to attend.

However, I don't get the price argument.

If you can't afford to take a holiday during the 12 weeks school holidays the kids get, then surely you spend longer saving up for it?

Authorising term time absences remains at HT's discretion, so you can try to persuade yours that your circumstances are exceptional.

Otherwise, then yes you can be fined (though I think fines can only be raised for absences once of statutory school age). So you will need to factor that into the holiday cost.

It's absolutely disgusting that holiday firms get away with doing this. It should not be allowed!
Take them out and lie and say they are ill if you have to!

Yes, rules have changed and schools are no longer allowed to authorise time off. You can take them out anyway but it will go on their records as unauthorised absence.

You are allowed one absence per school career, so if its going to be a one off once in a lifetime holiday and will not be repeated, then they can authorise this.

It's not the schools fault. Blame the holiday company for milking parents who arguably 'do the right thing' by sticking to school hols.

Our headteacher has said he has no choice - he has been told from'higher up' that he can no longer authorise any term time holidays.

It's no longer at the HT's discretion. They now have to record term time hols as unauthorised absence.

Worra if I have to wait and save longer then I have to wait and save longer but it would take almost another 6mths to save up twice the costs and I want a holiday damn it I feel having to save for almost a year for a term time one is bad enough its a haven holiday not bloody st topez.

Weve always had this problem, we live in Scotland and our schools broke up today, they return around 17th August - flight supplements can be hundreds of pounds per person extra (heard it all, cost sooo much extra from Scotland, mmm). Thankfully our school doesn't seem to bother about this at all, and as we are holidaying September this year (only the second time I've took the boys out mind you, its not a regular occurrence!) and as long as I send a note in, it will be fine. Dont think fines apply here eitehr thankfully!!!

The fine will remain at £60 and rises to £120 if you don't pay within 28 days.

These are the new amendments starting on 1st Sept

I hear what you're saying OP but holidays are expensive. There's no point in pricing them against term time holidays if you have kids of school age.

Take them out anyway. Just be honest, tell the school.

If you get fined it's still cheaper. My borough does not fine unless you take more than 10 days unauthorised. I think this is pretty common.

I would and have and I don't think it's a massive issue in primary school tbh. When they get back I ask dd's teacher what they've been doing then catch her up at home. I have never been fined but if I am then I will pay it with no complaints.

Sorry but the gov directive says it IS at thread teachers discretion. The Lea may try and enforce different but that is not what the new rules say. It removes mention of the ten days bit still leaves it at the ht's discretion for 'exceptional circumstances'.

We are taking the mad things on holiday in sept, five days amend providimg a letter from dp's employer as his leave is restricted and he cannot get time off in school holidays. That is authorized as exceptional circumstances.

HT's still have discretion to authorise in exceptional circumstances. That is written into law. No-one else has that power. Yes, there are absence target, but these are unchanged.

You best bet is to try to persuade HT that your case is exceptional. But some have already been hardline about this for some time already. You know yours better than we can.

Exceptional circumstances would be a parent getting married abroad, or a once in a lifetime trip to see family that won't be repeated in school time. Do you have anything exceptional (that is not a gripe re the price hike)?

I took mine out last year and the ht authorised it. I'm taking him out again in a weeks time and I don't know yet if it will be authorised or not.

5madthings, from the 1st Sept the Head won't be able to authorise holidays any more.

It will be exceptional circumstance only.

Yes and dp not being able to get any leave in school holidays counts as exceptional circumstances despite the fact it is for a holiday. We had a letter home from school and it will be granted as long as dp provides a letter from his employees. I have spoken to the head teachers (one high school, one primary) and they have said that does count as exceptional but they do expect a letter from employer (to prove we are not lying/provide to the Lea if necessary).

There are no rules on what is exceptional circumstamces, that is to be decided by the head teacher.

The new guidliens remove reference to holidays but do not say no holidays just that leave must be granted for exceptional circu stamces and parents who can't get leave in school holidays or forces families etc are the kinds of 'exceptional circumstances' that some head teachers are allowing. It is still as it always has been at the discretion of the head teacher.

Really does make me wonder if id be better off home schooling not over the holiday as a main reason but I'm pretty sick of other people telling me what I can and cannot do with my children, surely it should be down to the parents not the schools/government?

Unauthorised just means = you go anyway, and either get fined/ not fined depending on your area. Nothing has changed there.

It's just some schools used to authorise up to 10 days leave for a family holiday. Now they can't. They still might not fine you. You can still go 'unauthorised'.

It only affects the schools really. They will have more unauthorised absences which will affect their OFSTEAD rating.

I see what you're saying 5mad but I'm not sure a Head (after 1st Sept) would see it as exceptional if it was every year.

It remains to be seen and as you rightly say, up to each Head.

Just take them out - do not worry about it and enjoy yourselves.

Its utterly ridiculous you are having this worry.

Its all very well fining us for taking our primary children away it will only affect the people who cannot afford the bloody holiday in the holidays in the first place.

Even more divides between rich and poor, If I was rich I couldn't give a shiny shit about a small fine.

OMG OP you can't leave things like that down to parents.

There needs to be some intervention, or kids would be routinely kept off for stupid reasons...like Xmas shopping/Birthdays/the cat having kittens etc.