As of September 1st no more term time absences - complete overkill?

[Levvylife]

We've just been notified that schools will no longer authorise any absences in term time as of September (bar exceptional circumstances) and if you do take your child out in term time you get a £60 fine.

I'm not saying I approve of kids taking time out in term time per se, but this seems ridiculously heavy handed to me, what's wrong with the current system at the Head's discretion?

For example, my 6 year old DS was studying the Great Fire of London, so we took him to London for two days, but on a Sunday and Monday to avoid crowds and reduce the cost by half. He learnt way more in that day than he would have in school and I find it very hard to believe that the odd day here and there for good reason is going to make a massive amount of difference.

Also, Dh pointed out that some people work in offices and it is not always possible to take your annual leave in the summer if everyone else gets in there first. Then what?

So, AIBU to think that this is really over the top?

[ARealDame]

Can I just say - people don't always do it to save money! There are lots of reasons you might need to take your child out of school. I think this is like a police state, this stuff, totally weird.

So that leaves responsible parents with a couple of alternatives 1. lie 2. pay the £60 fine 3. go to court.

[MaryKatharine]

Well being restricted to sch hols is sort of balanced out by having so much of them IMO. So it's not having to take my holiday during sch hols that frustrated me but not being able to book the odd day off to do something special or even to stay home to get the boiler fixed or similar.

[Tilly333]

Perhaps they ought to do some bloody teaching then when they are there. I know its the end of the year but my DD has been watching films all week at school.. perhaps I could have taken her on holiday for cheaper than the normal holiday times instead of her being stuck in a hot classroom not learning anything about anything.. just watching transformers films! does my head in! (rant over)

[Bogeyface]

What would happen if you dont pay? Surely the LEA has no authority in a legal sense to enforce these fines? Arent they a bit like the "fines" you get in a private car park in that they can hassle and threaten you to pay them but if you dont then there is bugger all they can do about it?

[ARealDame]

Only at the end of term? My kitten watches films as "treats" at various times ... maybe the teacher has a hangover ...

[Bogeyface]

Tilly I agree with the films etc.

There is the chicken and egg argument trotted out "Oh well there is no point teaching proper lessons as half the kids arent there" but I remember the last 2 weeks being like that when I was at primary school 30years ago, so that is BS!

Its fine to get stroppy with parents if there is genuine learning going on, but if taking your child out 2 weeks before the summer holidays start is the difference between going on hols and not going, then what is the harm? They are not learning anything anyway between school trips, sports days, film days, play days......

[AudrinaAdare]

Indeed ARealDame. Off-peak holidays make things accessible to our disabled DS. We spend all the six weeks indoors avoiding crowds at the park and the pool during the day. It's great fun. Not.

DD has a condition which means that secondary skiing and foreign exchanges (during term-time I might add ) are out of the realms of possibility for her.

I wonder if the disability discrimination act and the requirement to make reasonable adjustments to ensure equality of opportunity might be useful to people with children like mine.

[MaryKatharine]

Tilly, that is unacceptable. I will admit yo it being like that on the last afternoon in my class and we do do other exciting things not curriculum related in the final 2wks but why on earth would you not teach the entire last week? The class must be chaos will a bunch if restless bored kids. Much better to keep them under the thumb until the last day.

[HeySoulSister]

there is life beyond primary.....our secondary school don't show films etc...mid june they start the next academic year,so those dead weeks at end of term don't exist. they are spent on new timetable/teachers etc so come sept everyone can get straight on with it

[Tilly333]

MaryK ...agree totally.. make them work, learn and test them up until the last but one day. Then give them a treat for all their efforts on the last day. My DD is bored, I would much rather take her away to see the Tower of London for the day, or up to the Lake district and see the countryside or anywhere out and about, rather than sit in the classroom watching stuff for rainy cold days at the weekends.

[Bogeyface]

Talk about timing........

DD just handed me a letter and I immediately thought of this thread! SHe has 100% attendance so as a treat she is having a day out with the other 100%-ers at a lazer quest type place.

Clearly the school have not spotted the irony........

[aldiwhore]

We will pay the fine.

We don't feel we should pay any fine. Our children are doing brilliantly, the ONLY time we can visit family or go on holiday is during term time, and though school is important, so is family time.

[Xmasbaby11]

YABU. I agree with that. Children have plenty of holidays and need to attend school during term time. There really have to be rules, and it's impossible to separate 'educational holiday' from other.

[morethanpotatoprints]

This doesn't apply to us anymore as we H.ed now, but last year my dds attendance was well below 80%. The reason was normal absence for illness, couple of days, time out for music and dance exams, concerts shows, summer courses etc. Mostly organised by the LEA
It will be a shame if dc are refused this time off and it isn't considered as educated off site, anymore.
I do see both sides though, my older dc went to tiny village school with 30 kids, total. The last week of term there were only mine and a couple of others. They had great fun and the teachers could do some really practical fun things with them, but the dc at school felt hard done to during this week.

[greensmoothiegoddess]

Why are many people blaming the schools. The schools' hands are well and truly tied. It's the bloody government and our nanny state. Rise up, folks.

[MaryKatharine]

Aldiwhore, I think your post should read,
'though school is important, family time is more so.'

[missmapp]

Thanks for the kind messages- I don't really think I should complain, as I do have the summer off, but DH has been made redundant, I have had to go full time and now have holiday envy ( must move away from facebook photos!)!!!

Oh, and I am still on full timetable in my class- bored, restless year 6's is not what I need now!! The last day we have some games and a memory trail around school- but other than that it is business as usual!

[AuntieStella]

"What would happen if you dont pay? Surely the LEA has no authority in a legal sense to enforce these fines? Arent they a bit like the "fines" you get in a private car park in that they can hassle and threaten you to pay them but if you dont then there is bugger all they can do about it?"

I'm afraid it's not remotely like that. The fines regime was introduced by Labour in the 2003 Antisocial Behaviour Act and has full force of law. If you contest the fine, it will go to court (can be raised to, I think £2,400 at this stage) and the penalty for non-payment of fines is prison. And yes, this has happened.

[MaryKatharine]

@ the school rewarding 100% attendees by taking them to laser quest for the day!

[StanleyLambchop]

I have a friend who is a dentist. The school holidays are the busiest time for her, because the schools have all requested that dentist appointments be after school or in the holidays so that it does not affect their attendance figures. So, come the holidays they are fully booked with all the children who could not come during term time. So she rarely gets to go on holiday with her own children as she can't take time off in the school holidays. Luckily her children's school has been understanding so far, but this may change next year with these new restrictions. In her circumstances I would say the fine is totally unfair- she has to sacrifice a holiday with her children because she is obliging the schools in providing appointments in holiday time!

[Spikeytree]

What gets my goat is the parents who expect staff to bend over backwards to catch their child up after a term-time holiday. I barely have enough lunch time to catch up with the kids who have been off through illness and have missed controlled assessment etc, so when am I supposed to find time to go over two weeks worth of GCSE content? The idea of borrowing someone's book and copying up seems completely alien to most of the kids in my school, so the parents ring in an expect extra classes just for their child.

We are on activities week at the moment - every activity has an objective linked to the NC, and measurable learning outcomes. They aren't jollies and there will be no DVDs here - we teach until 15:30 next Friday.