MP's to debate school holiday rules/fines on 24th February

[mummymeister]

Please can I ask anyone who feels as strongly as I do to write to their MP and ask for the changes in the rules regarding school holidays to be reversed. there is a back bench debate at 4.30pm on the 24th February and it is really important to bring this issue to the fore. There have been so many stories on MN of people wanting a day for funeral, to attend a family event, to visit family abroad that I know if all of us affected or who feel strongly write in at least we will have tried.

I find it very noticeable that no-one on this thread has complained about armed services families being prevented from taking holidays in term time to fit with parents deployment commitments. I live in Wiltshire, not too far from Salisbury Plain, and I'm well aware that many many families take term time holidays to fit in with the military schedule. I also know that all the head teachers in the schools affected by this are interpreting the current regulations sensibly. Frankly, the week after a unit returns from Afghanistan, there is no realistic chance of getting any work done at all.

I wish other head teachers felt able to interpret the current regulations sensibly too.

Alpaca - I would really hope not to see anyone on any thread on mn complain about armed services families taking holidays after a deployment. I 100% support this. we need some sense to return to this and we need it now. not when families have fallen out with heads. parents stop doing pta things because they feel so aggrieved. one child gets authorised holiday and their sibling at another school doesn't.

It is bad that armed servieces are been prevented as well.

However its not just them. I'm nhs and I can't take leave when I like. I'm allowed max of two weeks per year in school holidays and can't choose which weeks, though can express a preference. Won't ever be allowed Xmas and normally not Easter. Because of my role there are in addition two weeks each month I'm not allowed to take leave. I also can't take leave when my boss is on leave.

However I agree that its even worse for armed forces when they've been separated for so long.

Maybe for the armed forces it would count as exceptional circumstances?

Viva, thats totally shit.
MY dh can never take xmas, and thats bad enough.

that's the reality though isn't it. unless of course you are an mp with kids in private school.

Just to clear things up!

From 'Service Children's Education':Term time pupil leave

''Attendance regulations in England changed w.e.f. 1st Sept 13, removing the former notional limit of 10 days that head teachers could authorise for children to be absent from school during term time for family holidays. 1 All term time pupil leave applications in England have to now be on ‘exceptional grounds’ in line with the regulations.
Existing SCE attendance guidance, together with JSP 342, had effectively created a “10 + 10” policy, i.e. the potential for up to 10 days of term time pupil leave to be authorised by the head teacher for family holidays as well as up to 10 days of term time leave to coincide with parental POL2.
The SCE position is that from December 2013 there are no grounds for parents to apply for term time for their child/ren for family holidays. There are two grounds on which parents can apply for term time pupil leave which are;

a) for exceptional circumstances. By definition this is decided upon by the head teacher on a case by case basis and application form is at Annex A. Examples of ‘exceptional’ would include bereavement or serious illness of relatives, medical needs where treatment is required in the UK by the child’s primary care giver etc.

b) to link with Post Operational Leave with a maximum of 10 days. The application form for requests linked to POL is at Annex B.

? Please note there are no grounds for parents to apply for term time leave for their child/ren to coincide with either pre tour leave or for ‘R and R’ ''

Mmmm, maybe I should ask for exceptional circumstances?

I did consider it especially as its such a trip of a lifetime to rainforests, etc. or I could pay £60 and it would hardly break the bank on a 5k trip. But I was put off by all the stuff in the press about a 5% reduction in attendance equals a whole grade drop in gcse. And dd was quite poorly last term and attendance was 91%. Saying that she's in year 8 getting level 7 across the board. But just felt so guilty I couldn't do it.

X post.

Doesn't sound like I'd get exceptional circumstances then. Am glad that forces can in some circumstances.

How would people feel about only going away during school holidays if Gove lengthens the school days and terms?

Sovery I didn't 'sign up' for anything when I took my job, i know you are a teacher so that is slightly different. I just had to work. My main business is the 30 June -30 August so my poor children are shipped here there and everywhere. No camping no daytrips, nothing.
Please can someone let us have some joy in life? As a family?
Please anyone? (Mr M Gove)

Its amazing what a day here or there does price wise too.. I think most of my school has gone to centre parks this week as our half term is later than most of uk!

Not here sovery our situation is very similar to most of Britain, no wage rise since the credit crunch, a huge loss every year due to loss of shift bonus and opportunity to do over time.

we were border line comfortable before now we are under. with inflation and wages stagnant we are not in good paying jobs just moaning about this for the sake of it.

we are a family who want a holiday once a year. who value family time. who care about our dc education, who massively support our dc at home with school work.

I couldn't afford center parks, I research extensively to find basic accommodation and flights where ever we go. Self catering always. Its the flights that are the killer for us.

soverylucky if a straw poll on MN is anything to go by then looking at all the posts on this it is not about middle class parents who could afford to go at other times. it is about people in jobs with fixed holidays who are sensible and reasonable and want a family life. you are right about Gove. he treats us all like idiots.

I do wonder, as a percentage, the naysayers who say we shouldn't take a term time holiday, how many are able to go on hoilday themselves in the school hols? I would be interested to see. I think it would be a very high percentage.

looking at the news nothing has changed no surprise then

Rambling I can't afford centreparcs full stop either. I am in a very blessed position where I have free accommodation abroad (not July or august) We tried to book half term but it was impossible -cost wise.

I agree Jupiter.

our teachers gave us an impassioned plea not to go in term time and then they and the head chimmed in with a very pained look on her face as if we parents just didn't get it that they they also .....have to go in normal holiday time.

I then googled teachers salaries and I may be way out here but a starting salary was about 24 and HT about 40+ ?

We are on 18.

Yes we face the same time bracket to go away, but we face it with:

Very different budgets.

This will be our second holiday btw, children 10 & 8. no more after as high school next year

Shame sovery, we are forging four days to france and I can only do that as tesco vouchers will pay my euro tunnel costs then we will camp once there.