To take children (14 & 12) out of school for last 8 days in July for hol

[pingufan]

As the title says really - looking to book a once in a lifetime Florida trip in 2015 and the difference between going on July 8th and just a week later in over £1000

Son will be in yr9 and daughter yr7

They break up on the 18th or 19th July (depending if they use an INSET day)

How much realistically will they miss? Is it being unreasonable?

School currently has a policy where they will authorise up to 10 days for holidays but this may change before then

WWYD?

I would. Any fine is likely to be less than the savings you'd make, and they'll probably just be watching DVDs in school by then anyway.

Ours start the new school year when they go back in June after half term. Many schools now do this so don't assume they do nothing but play games/watch dvd's!

Ours start the next years work at the end of the summer term, too.

I wouldn't even think about it. Just take them! What are they going to miss? A few days at the end of summer term?
I took mine out for the last two weeks of summer term 3 times and for the last 2 weeks of autumn term twice.
DS also missed about 3 months of school when he was 8, due to our going abroad to live (and taking a long holiday). DD didn't start school till she was 6, as we had been living abroad till then, where starting age was different.
None of the above had any noticeable detrimental effect on their education.

That last week of the summer term is when my DC's school always runs various residential trips, either educational ones (e.g. Berlin for History/German or Geog field trips), PGL-type ones, DoE expeditions and so forth. They also organise Work Experience and similar activities. You might want to check that out, as often the notification letters don't come out until next academic year.

"and they'll probably just be watching DVDs in school by then anyway."

This is just not true in most, good, schools these days, and such a hackneyed cliché. We are not allowed to show DVDs unless it's directly relevant to the curriculum, except for a one-off before Christmas as a treat and even then most of the kids have seen them already.

And I'm surprised to hear that the school still operates a policy of up to 10 days for holidays (although this was actually only ever for "exceptional reasons," not for holidays, but most parents have interpreted it as such, as well as an entitlement). Even if they're doing it this year, I suspect that the rules are about to tighten further. LAs are quizzing Head Teachers on every absence they see in the registers, asking for justification for any absences that have been authorised.

Year nine's may well be sitting exams. We are a non DVD watching school also! Expected to teach up until last day.....

Your DC will be exactly the same as my DC are now.

My DD (now Yr 7) has told me that they officially 'move up' to Yr8 and start doing the Yr 8 work in the last few weeks.
My Yr 9 will be concentrating on preparation for GCSE when they arrive.

So, I'd say no, not a good idea.

(And I'm planning a "Once In a Lifetime" trip to Florida Keys next year for our Wedding Anniversary, but if we do, it'll need to be in the DC Easter Holidays. We'll have to suck up the cost )

I think you will find the 10 days are no longer aloud, schools can't grant any days off for holidays.

I would also be interested to find out if there are schools out there that actually still use "10 days allowed" policy, contravening the Sept 2013 guidelines.

Thank you - I did think it was too risky to just assume they would be winding down in the last week or so.

Annoying though when you consider that yesterday was a completely wasted day in the school as the yr11's were on their last day and they rampaged through the school setting fire alarms off. My son said they stood in the rain most of the morning waiting for the fire alarms to be reset...

I would also be interested to find out if there are schools out there that actually still use "10 days allowed" policy, contravening the Sept 2013 guidelines

we are in Wales - does it make a difference?

If your children were off school through illness, would anyone complain? Maybe they will both catch that nasty bug that goes around towards the end of term?

DS (Y9) is starting his GCSE courses after half term, so yours might be too.

Very surprised they still authorise holidays in term time.

My dd is Year 11 and she spent most of yesterday sitting GCSEs. The Yr13s had their Leavers' Day, but during the Assembly to parents, the Head thanked them for keeping their pranks good-natured and amusing, as opposed to vandalism.

I would too in your situation and I'm a teacher.! Any fines would be far less than that saving

And I'm a teacher and I wouldn't! Not because I don't think this fining business is wrong, but because I wouldn't want to risk my DCs possibly missing out on any trips, particularly any curriculum-based ones.

The attendance figures get cut off then so they don't count in league tables, they won't be doing anything last week of term. Take them

At our school in year 9 they start the gcse syllabus in maths and science after may half term. Also, the last 2/3 days might be more relaxed ie watching movies etc but in the second to last week they will still be doing work. Missing a few days is fine, but 2 weeks isn't. You might just have to suck it up and pay the summer holiday rates like everyone else.

maddy Sorry but you just don't know that. There are plenty of secondary schools that do do things in that last week.
And do you know for certain that attendance figures will be cut off this year, under this new system? Although I have to say that I thought they counted the figures from June/July towards the following year's figure (although I'm willing to be corrected on that).

Because that's the ofsted ruling! They are likely to benefit more from a holiday with parents than a trip to Alton towers in any case

They aren't carried on to next academic year

Just asked DD, at her school it's actually only the last day of term where they don't do any real work. The rest is more relaxed but just more interesting, so maybe group work/presentations/posters instead of textbook work. They're also likely to be prepared for starting gcse's and doing end of term tests

At our school it would mean your eldest missing the start of his GCSE's plus although I wouldn't bat an eyelid at 1 or 2 days off, 10 days for a holiday is wrong and is why they have changed the rules. In my department we are planning to do their ISA's in the last few weeks so would very unhappy for a student to go off on holiday.

We do watch the odd video but last 2 days only and even then we try and link it into something educational.