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?

amen

Well good for you. I dare say that those that choose to lie to get a lovely two weeks away spending time with their dc that they might not otherwise be able to do manage to find a way to live with it though .

I have a superstitious streak that makes me worry about lying about illness in that way - it feels like tempting fate.

I'm with you feminine. Feels wrong to say your children are ill when they aren't.

laqueen and gordy, that was unnecessarily bitchy.

And sparkly I dare say they do!

Am I the only one who can see the irony

Government steps in with draconian measures penalising irresponsible parents who fail to maintain their DCs attendance at school.

Outraged parents (who consider themselves responsible and therefore exempt from the rules) teach their DCs to lie and deceive in an attempt to bypass draconian measures

My dm is a teacher, she says please take your children away whenever you like, so long as it's not in the middle of their GCSE exams. One week in a blue moon is going to make eff all difference to their education, in fact, they might learn more on holiday if you chuck in some museums and local attractions.

When did this "fine" nonsense get introduced? Feels a bit police state-ish!

Noblegiraffe I am currently looking into private caravans but again in school holidays there are a lot more expensive and I would need to purchase entertainment passes as well apparently.

I agree with a lot of people that holidays are a luxury and its one none of my DCs have experienced yet as we haven't had the chance due to a very bad couple of years, however I think they deserve to have some good memories after everything and I want to be able to do that within the next year if limited to school holidays I don't think I could afford it for a lot longer.

I don't believe the government should be telling us how to parent yes some parents can be irresponsible but penalising everyone does not improve the situation.

I still think its out of order that holiday places ofrer cheap holidays only in term time, maybe if the prices were more fair during holiday times I wouldn't need to consider taking them out anyway.

I think I have made my decision on what I am going to do, and to those suggesting I home school it is something I have considered and still may happen if the government want to take control over parents rights, the only reason my DC are in state education is to make it fair on them rather than having to somehow juggle 3 different age levels of teaching which would I imagine make one be behind or expecting too much of the other.

I lived in the states for a few years.

At my dc's school, time was given to do "whatever" a bit like leave.

There was no need to lie, I think all the kids got 10 days.

Maybe they could do something like that here? saves lying I guess

That's good to hear pettyprudence. I have had the same said to me by teachers too.

I don't think the issue is whether or not the OPs DCs education will be negatively affected - the issue is that if the OP takes them out of school, the system will label her an irresponsible parent because the current system operates under the principle that missing school is detrimental.

You can argue forever over whether the system is right or wrong, but that is the system the OP has chosen to educate her DCs within.

Whether or not a holiday is detrimental to a particular DC is irrelevant - any parent who fails to secure an education for their DCs in line with the regulations can be fined, if they can't (or won't) pay, they can be sentenced to community service or even prison.

There is no secret 3rd option that will allow the OP to take her DCs out of school but not risk the consequences. Either her DCs miss out on a holiday and there's no risk of a fine, or they have a great holiday but the family could face legal action on their return. Simple choice - which each of us would make differently, depending on how important the holiday was to us, and how much financial hardship a fine would cause.

It would be alright if it was all at the same time but this time of year gets very disrupted. Of course if it was everyone at the same time then they'd put up the prices and we'd be back where we started.
There are 5 hours of lessons every day - it is difficult to fit in catch up sessions at secondary school - I do my best though.

Why does everybody blame the holiday companies. Of course it costs more during the school holidays. They aren't hiked up prices they are the normal price. It is peak times and all good businesses operate peak time prices. The out of peak times are for all the people who don't want snotty brats about the place. Although it doesn't stop us taking them, during this time

If you usedto be a teacher, you sure as hell have no idea what it is like to be one now! The old chestnut about teacher's long holidays no longer applies. Huge amounts of work have to be done in their time off, and it takes an enormous effort of orgnisation to get things done so that they can perhaps have some time off with their families without worrying about work. That's if their children 's half terms/holidays coincide with their own. You don't usually see teachers taking their kids for holidays in term time.Or TA's for that matter.

Don't get me wrong I wouldn't even consider it if they were doing exams but they are 4 and 5 yrs old, the holiday would be beneficial for other reasons such as an opportunity to teach water safety at the beach and pool (no pool near by here), I know they are in school to learn but to be honest at this age I can probably quite easily incorporate the weeks lessons into the holiday for example this week DC1 is learning very simple adding and subtracting and about mini beasts - not exactly rocket science.

The only people who need to worry are the one's whose kids have not got good attendance. If you send your child most of the time,then leave is usually authorised. If your child is off (like some I know) 2 out of every 5 days then there is no way it will be authorised, and you should understand why.

Surely the answer is to find a cheaper holiday. Why take your children out of school and risk the consequences for a £150 Haven holiday when you could take them to a UK campsite in the middle of August for £100 a week?

The man I used to work for had a very poor opinion of schools his children didn't have to take school very seriously, they all now live in fab houses travel widely and drive new cars doing well for yourself doesn't always involve doing well at school

Crikey its simple then isnt it! Anyone can be a teacher!

Jamdonut The point is that the rules are changing and leave for holidays during term time is not going to be authorised full stop.

ruled so what is your concern?

You don't think your DCs education will be affected, so why not just go?
Of course, you could get fined - even if your DCs learn more while on holiday than they would in school - but if that's a risk you're prepared to take, then go for it!

What you can't do is expect the school/LA to change the rules for you - no matter whether you agree with them or not, that's what you signed up to when you enrolled your DCs at state school.

sonlypuppyfat

So true, my dd doesn't go to school and can't see it ever happening tbh, she is doing alright for herself, although only 9.

mark Twain said "I never let school get in the way of a good education"

Well one of the parents at my DCs school has spent all week plastering photos of her and her DCs holiday abroad all over facebook.
So if the Head wants to get arsey with me I will just point him in the direction of her facebook page.
BTW ruled, the entertainment pases with Haven will not cover stuff such as wall climbing, go-carting, archery, bike hire, etc., for stuff like that you need Activity Passes which cost extra. I found that out when I went to Haven a month ago. Was very peed off when I realised. The entertainment passes only allow you to get access to the pool (if there is one) and to enter the bar and the slot machine areas.