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Original poster

Apols - Done to death - school child and term time holiday

49 replies

eastdulwichbedwetter · 23/02/2014 10:23

My mother has offered to take us on an amazing holiday for three weeks at Easter to South Asia.

We both work part time out of the home and have a 5 year old in Reception and a toddler.

5 year old has not previously missed school. Is ahead generally and likes school.

We want to go at Easter and take 4 days off the week before to make it a near three week holiday

This isn't a cost issue as the flights are scheduled and pricey anyway, more a length of time issue and not being able to get this time off during any other holiday.

Of course I will ask for permission for those 4 days but wondered what the implications were?

OP posts:
Joules68 · 23/02/2014 10:25

Implications? Fines like anyone else would get!

Lottiedoubtie · 23/02/2014 10:26

You'll get turned down and potentially fined. £60 per child per parent per day. So that's £480, if you can afford it and still think the holiday is worth it, go, if you cant/don't don't.

Joules68 · 23/02/2014 10:27

And you'll be labelled as one of 'those' parents!

Lucyccfc · 23/02/2014 10:29

Why don't you just go for 2 weeks and save all the hassle?

I know it's long haul, but 2 weeks is still plenty of time.

Thewhingingdefective · 23/02/2014 10:30

If your child is in Reception year, that's not compulsory is it? Compulsory education starts the September following your child's fifth birthday. When was your DC five?

I might be totally wrong on this, but surely you can't be fined for taking a child out of school if they don't legally even have to be there yet.

Smartiepants79 · 23/02/2014 10:30

Well in theory the other posters are correct you will quite possibly be fined.
However your head teacher does have some discretion. Do you know what her attitude is to this sort of thing? Mine is fairly relaxed and would probably authorise such a one off special trip for a reception age child.
All you can do is ask but be prepared to pay as the others have said.

Smartiepants79 · 23/02/2014 10:31

If they are 5 then it is statutory that they are in education.

tinfoilhat · 23/02/2014 10:32

This makes me so mad! Your child will learn more by this wonderful experience than they can ever teach her in four days. Throw a sickie. If telephoning in on the Monday won't be possible, email instead.

Original poster
eastdulwichbedwetter · 23/02/2014 10:33

Because my mother would rather have a three week holiday as flying long haul is a bit of a hassle for two weeks.

She's in her sixties and just thinks if she's bothering with flights and visas and wants to travel a little within the country she'd rather do 3 weeks.

She does understand they are tougher regarding absences but can't quite accept it!

She comes from the generation when she took me out from school for the odd week here and there.

OP posts:
SavoyCabbage · 23/02/2014 10:34

Sounds like a fantastic opportunity to me. Hope you have an amazing time.

Pagwatch · 23/02/2014 10:35

Talk to the school.
We took DS2 to Australia at Christmas which meant he missed 3 days of school.
The head was happy to approve it.

If the holiday is paid for and you can afford any threatened fine then you could still book and pay the fine.
Your child is five. I would do it in a heartbeat.

Original poster
eastdulwichbedwetter · 23/02/2014 10:36

I know it's statutory, and she is 5.

I am prepared to pay a fine, also am prepared to scale back the holiday to 2 weeks but it just seems a pity.

OP posts:
chesterberry · 23/02/2014 10:37

If the school refuse you will get fined as above. Whether the school will turn you down or give you permission will probably depend greatly on the school, the school where I work still seems to be giving permission for parents to take their children on holiday as the headteacher strongly opposes the fines but some other schools seem to be quite strict regarding the fines.

Thewhingingdefective · 23/02/2014 10:37

'Children must get an education between the school term after their 5th birthday and the last Friday in June in the school year they turn 16.'

This is from www.gov.uk.

So, if your child turned five between January and Easter, they don't need to be in education until after Easter.

Hissy · 23/02/2014 10:37

So your reception child, agedd 5 has not missed school.

Since September.

You do realise that this isn't THAT much of a big deal, don't you?

Inform your mother that the school holiday is 2 weeks, and the flights will need changing to be within that period.

Or you can wait and go in the summer.

Pipbin · 23/02/2014 10:39

It is compulsory education the TERM AFTER they turn 5.
So if your 5 year old turned 5 between Christmas and Easter then they ARE NOT compulsory until after Easter.
If they turned 5 before Christmas then they are now compulsory.

jamtoast12 · 23/02/2014 10:39

Firstly you cannot be fined until the absence reaches 10 unauthorised sessions which is five days so whilst it will go unauthorised, they are not allowed to fine you.

Secondly, the fine by law is a max of £60 per parent per child per week. It is legally not allowed to be more than that so a week for a family of four is £240 max. The ones you may have heard about in the news etc relate to incidents were the parents refused to pay initially and so the fine doubles and doubles etc.

Try asking anyway as our school still allows a week no problem.

Hissy · 23/02/2014 10:39

This is the problem with a fine system, it makes the option of taking term time holidays a paid for service.

mumblechum1 · 23/02/2014 10:41

Seriously, she'll be missing 4 days of storytime, colouring in, sticking stuff and maybe doing some counting games. She won't be missing quadrilateral equations in the last few days of term.

It's a no brainer imo.

Original poster
eastdulwichbedwetter · 23/02/2014 10:41

Thanks for the good wishes.

I don't want to 'piss off' the school. If I thought my child was struggling (she's a free reader and writes well and gets on well there) or had missed too much time off already (had one day's sickness) I wouldn't entertain the idea.

I can also see the school's side too (working on the assumption of not getting permission), which makes this

Also, being taken out throughout my years at school didn't do my education any harm or seemed to have brought my school to its knees

OP posts:
jamtoast12 · 23/02/2014 10:41

I think you'll find (no expert at all but almost 100% sure as I've read it loads on primary threads by various teachers etc) that once kids start school, they are obliged to follow the rules like everyone else, regardless of age.

BalloonSlayer · 23/02/2014 10:43

When was she 5?

IIRC school doesn't become compulsory until the term after they become 5. So if she was 5 in January, it would not be compulsory till the summer term.

BalloonSlayer · 23/02/2014 10:44

ooh sorry just inadvertently repeated what pipbin said. Blush

tinfoilhat · 23/02/2014 10:44

Good luck with however you're going to go about it and have a wonderful time!

MummytoMog · 23/02/2014 10:45

Oh just go - DD is in reception and we didn't even think twice about her missing school when wee had to move out of the house for a bit. She's only four, so not compulsory yet, but she had 100% attendance the term before and I don't think missing a week of the scintillating Oxford Reading Tree is going to harm her long term. Seriously, just go. We didn't bother asking. Just told them when it became apparent we weren't getting back into the house on schedule.

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