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?

Florida is hottest in July. It's the worst time to visit. I wouldn't go then simply on those grounds.

Go.we take Ds out often sometimes and he is easily keeping up with classmates and got an excellent academic report.
Just say they are ill. 10 days out of school isn't a life wrecker!

When mine were at school I took them out around the same time, to go on holiday to meet family they hadn't met before. If they were still at school Id do it again, if necessary. Not as if you're doing it yearly and I don't think 8 days out of school is catastrophic, either.

Go for it

I have lsst week of scottish term twice for florida well the last time it was 2 days but yes I dont see why not they might fineyou but we just got an unauthorised absence

I have lsst week of scottish term twice for florida well the last time it was 2 days but yes I dont see why not they might fineyou but we just got an unauthorised absence

I teach so I can't but wouldn't anyway. It is against the rules. It sends the wrong message to your children ie you can overrule if something doesn't suit you, is that what you want to do?

I would take them out without even blinking.

dementedma, your DS may be doing well academically, but what lesson is he learning from you, if your idea of responsible behaviour is to take a child out of school for a holiday, then lie to the school (and get the child to lie also) about it.

Clam. My DDs are at a school rated as outstanding by Ofsted, but the French teacher's idea of a DVD related to the curriculum is Ratatouille. I kid you not.

I would take them out of school but I'm in the US and travel in term time is allowed. I'd check first with the teacher what they might miss but at the end of the year it's rarely much.

They might miss some stuff in school. It might be a residential trip. It might be DVDs. It might be a really riveting lesson on a topic the DC have been struggling to grasp.

But if none of that really worries you all too much (it wouldn't me), then this is purely a financial decision about the fine v. savings. So do the math. What are the savings after the fines?

These threads really irk me.

Most OPs are going to take their DCs out anyway. They seem to come on here to attract those who think that the whole system is unfair towards parents, that their DC is a genius who probably doesn't need school anyway, that children - even in secondary - watch DVDs for the last week of term and that if it's ok for teachers to have the audacity to strike, they should expect parents to take their DCs out in term-time.

I'd do it and I'm a teacher - I'm not saying it's not important but just that 2 regular capable children will easily catch up on a couple of weeks work. Exams and assessments will mostly be over and even if new work is being done its not impossible to catch up. Enjoy the holiday

Cut off for attendance at our school is June 1st.

Winds me right up when the so called 100% ers cannot collect their certificates because they are away on holiday!

And yes, it does happen.

I would not do it. Ds would not want to do it.

I would take them. We are taking our DS out for one week next year, it's £1500 more to go in the holidays. You'll get the preachy people banging on about how a holiday is a luxury and how they'll fail at life and end up on job seekers forever if you take them out but honestly, I would take them if I were you.

Who are you wanting to fly with? Monarch have some good prices even for school holidays esp if willing to fly on a Wednesday.

Dd's school doesn't do the moving up to next year and starting GCSEs early in June though

Apparently they do a lot of PSHE group work in those days.

It depends what value you put on education and on teaching your DC that in adult life there will be rules that they will have to abide by. Both more valuable than Florida IMO but others will differ.

You know that last post makes no sense my own grown up dd has never missed a day of work or u ni on a whim I may have taken her for a fortnight I florida doesnt mean children will become feckless cretins because of that statemrnts like value and education areemotive and ridiculous one week end of summet term to go o holidau will not do any harm ime

God typos sorry

At the end of y9 my DD started her English GCSE controlled assessment work, and was already doing her science GCSE syllabus. My DD would have struggled to catch this up. Your children may be more able.

I wouldn't risk it, schools where I am start GCSEs at the end of year 9.

In Secondary school I wouldn't.

And yes I have had and do have secondary school age children. I also work in a secondary school and can say we work up until the summer break. Yr9 is especially crucial, they will be starting to do their GCSE work.