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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

Original poster

eastdulwichbedwetter · 23/02/2014 10:45

She was five before Christmas so yes, it is compulsory.

Sorry, I realise she's not had a long run at school yet to be off from it - but was at the nursery part and didn't miss any then. My point is she has not missed a chunk so far so I don't feel the pressure that she can't miss any more, if you see what I mean. I she had missed a week off already I wouldn't have entertained the idea.

We can't go in the summer due to the rainy season and inability of us to get the same time off.

OP posts:

JupiterGentlefly · 23/02/2014 10:46

I would! In fact I will be.

RufusTheReindeer · 23/02/2014 10:47

Check the fines, in quite a few places it is £60 for the holiday per parent per child not per day

Having said that it is probably worth sucking up whatever the fine is for such a fantastic holiday

Pixiedust49 · 23/02/2014 10:48

Our head would be absolutely fine with what you are suggesting. As a one off situations like this are always accepted in our school and no one would bat an eyelid.

Original poster

eastdulwichbedwetter · 23/02/2014 10:56

Hi there. Thanks again for the range of opinions. I DO see schools view on this. And our school has a new strict head, wanting to crack down on this (also a very mixed school with lots of children visiting relatives abroad)

Basically to visit this country there are some times of the year it's not possible, so summer is out.

Also, my husband works night shifts part time (looks after the children then does nights) and I work part time and it feels like we are ships in the night, meeting up to empty the dishwasher and hang up washing! (a reality for many folk, or course) but I am so keen for three weeks with a potential babysitter. And my children are super keen as well.

But I'm not a rule breaker by nature either!

OP posts:

redskyatnight · 23/02/2014 10:57

As others have said you can ask and may get lucky with a sympathetic HT who will authorise it. Otherwise it will go down as unauthorised and you may be fined.

Up to you whether you want to do it or not. I wouldn't focus on the fact your DC has had no time off this year particularly though - there is nothing to say that they won't be taken ill after you've booked the flights, or indeed later in the year and end up having lots of time off.

Original poster

eastdulwichbedwetter · 23/02/2014 11:03

My mother is paying for this as well. No way could we afford anything abroad, so that's playing on my mind.

I take your point about her hitherto good attendance!

OP posts:

exexpat · 23/02/2014 11:05

I would just go, and I have done in similar circumstances - added a few days to the Easter holiday to make a trip to Australia and Japan more worth while.

There are no major educational consequences as far as I can see to missing a few days at the end of term if your child is already doing well in school (in fact DS missed the entire year of reception by starting school a year later in another country - didn't make the slightest bit of difference - and also missed a few weeks when his father died when he was 8).

I would just decide based on whether you can afford the fine or not.

BabyDubsEverywhere · 23/02/2014 11:06

Our school is £60.00 per child, per parent, per week. I ill be adding the fine to the cost of the holiday and carrying on. We don't have many holidays, odd week every couple of years, so I wont feel guilty about it.

WooWooOwl · 23/02/2014 11:06

Attendance at school is compulsory as soon as a child is enrolled, it is irrelevant whether the child is four or five. If parents want to take advantage of the fact that their child is not compulsory school age then they have to delay entry, they do not get to enrol their child at school and then take holidays whenever they want up until the term after their fifth birthday.

OP, all you can do is talk to the school, explain the situation, and see if they will authorise it or not. No one on here can tell you what will happen because it's down to your school and your local EWO. I'm usually very against parents taking term time holidays, but it seems to me to be reasonable to ask in your situation.

If the school won't authorise it then it's entirely up to you whether you still take those days off and risk a fine, or you change your travel plans.

17leftfeet · 23/02/2014 11:11

Some local authorities seem more keen to fine than others

The heads at both dd's schools will authorise educational trips eg I've got 3 days booked off for them to visit Barcelona at Easter
I don't normally take them out but I didn't realise the Easter holidays didn't straddle Easter this year when I booked it -oops

Put the holiday request in and see what happens

HalfSpamHalfBrisket · 23/02/2014 11:15

I would tell you to go, and I am a reception teacher.
Go for as long as you can, and have a fabulous time.

There is a big section of the EYFS curriculum about parents and EYFS practitioners working in partnership. You, as parents, are the child's first and most important educators - and a trip to SE Asia will be a fabulous time to spend together. Without even trying to 'teach', your child will absorb that people look different, speak differently, eat differently, that the streets and house are not quite like England. What an opportunity.

mygrandchildrenrock · 23/02/2014 11:38

As someone has already said, you won't be fined because you are not having 5 days off.
Go and have a wonderful time.

Pipbin · 23/02/2014 11:39

WooWooOwl. It does matter if they are 4 or 5. As I and many others have said above a child is not compulsory school age until the term after they are 5. Before that they can come or not as they please.

As halfspamhalfbrisket (love that name btw) said, I too am a reception teacher and I say take it. It's not two weeks sitting round a pool in Spain. They will learn something on that holiday. I suggest talking to the reception teacher on Monday, then, depending on what they say, going to the Head.

Ubik1 · 23/02/2014 11:44

Oh just go.

catkind · 23/02/2014 11:53

Just go. Take some reading books with you, count the windows in the plane and her education will not suffer in the least. She'll learn so much by visiting a country she wouldn't otherwise be able to visit. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. (For most of us anyway!)
If school have any sense they will see that and grant the leave. If not they may not bother fining for 4 days, if they do can you afford the fine?

Original poster

eastdulwichbedwetter · 23/02/2014 12:52

Just to add, a friend at the same school did this for 3 days before a holiday, applied in writing and no one got back to her. No fines later on either.

OP posts:

thenamestheyareachanging · 23/02/2014 13:51

It would be a shame if your child had a bug just before the Easter hols, wouldn't it, OP?

thenamestheyareachanging · 23/02/2014 13:54

woo woo owl, you're wrong. Children below compulsory education age don't count in the school's attendance figures. Parents don't have to send them full time until the term after their fifth birthday. Sending them part time, or keeping them home if they're too tired, perfectly allowed.

lessthanBeau · 23/02/2014 14:20

I know for a fact that unless they are compulsary school age, you CANNOT be fined, we took 2 full weeks of in december for a fabulous holiday in florida, child not 5 until january, we got 12 days unauthorised absence on her record and no fines , we had it in writing from the LEA as well as the head.
What is it with everyone not having a clue about the fines? the fines are £60 per parent per child per full five days, no fines for four days or less, it does not vary from school to school or county to county, it is goverment legislation not pick a bloody number from a hat! unless you are the actual parent who has been fined for less days then do not bother commenting saying we know someone or heard of someone, because I dont believe it.
that said, go and have a fabulous holiday, we have had no repercusssions from the school, you wont be the hated parent or anything, they save that for the people who actually dont GAF.

prh47bridge · 23/02/2014 14:51

it does not vary from school to school or county to county

You are only partly correct. It does not vary from school to school but it does vary from LA to LA. The legislation does not specify how many days absence attract a fine. It specifically leaves that up to individual LAs to set their own code of practise. See the Education (Penalty Notice) (England) Regulations 2007 14(c).

mrsjay · 23/02/2014 14:56

you might not get an exception or permission because your dd has not been off school since she started so it will be an unauthorised as long as you tell the school what you are doing then what can they do fine you well pay the fine, fwiw i have taken mine out over the years a few times 3 days end of term here 2 there, i have had one authorised as my dh couldnt get any other holidays , take her go on your holiday but your school isn't really going to give any kind of permission

5madthings · 23/02/2014 15:03

Is it only 4 days? Our la policy is to fine for absences of 5 consequtive days or if they fall below a certain % attendance wise over a period of 6 wks. I forget the wording but it gives you a bit of leaway.

We took ours outfor a week and werent fined but had a letter from dps employer re leave restrictions and it being the only time dp coud get off.

Op just go! And have fun it soundslike a lovely treatfrom your mum :)

BelleateSebastian · 23/02/2014 15:08

Go, pay the fine if necessary (it's not £60 per day per parent btw!!!!!) and have a lovely time :)

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