To take DS out of school for 4 days next year?

[The3Bears]

We came back from our family summer holiday last Sunday, 2 weeks in Cyprus at the Holiday village and we absolutely loved it so want to book again asap while we can benefit from the free child place as ds2 is 2 next year so we will have to pay for him too. We went on the 24th May this year and our holiday cost a fortune, no free child place and £1600pp aswell as our wedding in Cyprus on top of this
So we had a look and it's over £1000 cheaper to leave on Thurs the 28th May next year and a free child space but ds1 whose 7 and will start Juniors next year will miss 4-5 days off school and I'm unsure wether to book. We've never had a holiday in term time before and his attendance is great, he's doing really well with all his work and with how much everything cost this year we'd be unable to pay extra to go on the 24th this year so would have to miss out
IABU if i book this holiday as I'm feeling really unsure about it all and would like some advice as to what you would all do?
TIA

I suppose due to the nature of the thread we are looking at this from a narrow view - there are other far more sinister reasons for taking a child out of school than for a nice beach holiday or an enriching experience, arent there?

I don't understand why anyone asks. A HT is never going to authorise days off for a holiday.

I just send a note in the day before, saying dd and ds will be off school on the 7th & 8th of whatever.

I don't make them do extra work either. What's the point of going on holiday to sit doing workbooks?

Nigella, like what and is the majority of the country at it?

do I really need to spell it out? not a majority no.

Well Igggi my children don't need protection from me taking them on holidays and nor do most people's children.

Of course Nigellas there are more sinister reasons for having children out of school, I agree with you. And I am ot saying that attendence does not need to be monitored. It is also monitored here in Ireland. Absences have to be explained but holidays are accepted as a valid explanation. Of course excessive amount of time of even if it is explained or authorised is flagged (I believe it is 20 days).

I dont think forcing everyone to have their children attend school every day (under threat of fining) is going to do much for reducing abuse to be honest. All it is really going to do is piss up off a lot of responsible parents.

Sorry Nigella, are you implying this has come in to stop abuse?

I thought we lived in a country where we are innocent until proven guilty.

I did not realise laws came in to bow down the lowest common denominator.

Where will it end?

Will we all be treated like criminals in every way soon?

probably frag yes

Either way, people just want to search for any excuse to justify their holiday.

On the contrary. I feel no need whatsoever to justify these decisions to the school or anyone else. That's the point. It is my decision as a parent to make in the best interest of my child. Full stop. And - precisely because this is not about 'entitlement' or 'being special' - I don't think anyone else should have to justify their decision, either. Whether it is for a funeral, a £20 day out, or a £5000 foreign holiday, it's none of my business, and none of the schools. Habitual truancy is a separate issue, and pretending that occasional, parentally authorised, absence is a crime is absurd.

The fact that the schools are being held to account for this and 'punitive measures taken against them - that is wrong, it is bad policy, and I won't be held hostage by it.

Have to laugh though at the degree of self-righteousness on this thread.

Well said brdgrl

I could not agree more brdgrl

I can't think of anywhere worse than here to ask the question... I think you have to do what is right for your and your family and this does include your beliefs in term time holidays.. There are people strongly opposed to anyone taking term time holidays. I am not one of them until they get to secondary school.

I can tell you our HT has authorised holidays when there is a reason why it needs to be taken term time.

I am taking my child out for 2 days but I would take my child out for 4-5 days and not think twice about it if it suited the family.

I wouldn't do it every year and that probably means that you cant go on the holiday you want every year but I think every second year is acceptable.

I think this whole fines thing is a nonsense.

Whether you think it should be illegal or not isn't the point.
Er, it rather was my point. Feel free to make different ones. :)

I should add that I live in Ireland where if a child is out 20 days then the health services are notified and the parents receive a visit to check if the child is being looked after.

I know of a case where a child was sick for 10 days and then on holiday for another 10 and the health visitor pointed out that it wasn't ideal that the child was out that much in a year but the school said that the child was ahead of or in line with peers with involved parents so there was no need to take action, just try not to make it a habit

Tiggytape Legalising drugs and taking your DC to the Dordogne are two very different things with 2 very different outcomes.

One effects everyone and has a mammoth impact on society and the other impacts one childs learning for one week

Tiggy, sorry, but I think you are misunderstanding people's points yourself.

I have said that it is a policy I will not be heeding. If I were to be fined, my complaint would not be "I've been fined for something that isn't illegal!" - it would be "I've been fined because of a poorly conceived and unjust piece of legislation".
This is also known as civil disobedience. In conjunction with voting, it has been an effective tool for changing bad policy.

I love this thread, was not expecting this at all! Rik may be gone but thank god there is still room for anarchy in day to day life. It's hardly subscribing to the punk times to decide what you do for your own children.

So.... As a seperated parent, would everyone be happy for their ex partner to remove the child from school for a holiday/outing/whatever?

This has just today become an issue for a friend and I thought of this thread. They both have parental responsibility for the dc.... One is taking them out for 3 days, the other needs 5.

And one is taking another 5 days in sept and the other has 2 days out planned... So far

Tell the school the day before you go.

Then they can't fine you :)

I love it that so many people, including the OP, are planning holidays and missing school. It just means that, when our children are all competing with each other (and the Koreans, Chinese, Indians etc) it will be my children who get the job / university place because they will have better results, a good attendance record and no sunburn.