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

Why do they need a day out of school for that, Lesshaste? The ticket prices are the same whether it's term-time or school holidays.

Roseforme I am sorry but I have had to laugh at the "competing with the chinese, indian" bit. It sounded soooo DM!!

If there is one thing I would not wish for my child is this attitude of competing against someone (esoecially other cultures) and I would not want them to think that if you are not switched on at all times you might be overtaken and your life will be a gigantic failure.

Not answering for lesshaste but sometimes there are other considerations besides money - such as our own work schedules or availability of accommodation/event tickets. Lots of people have commented on this and other threads about not being able to take time from work during the holidays because of the nature of their work, but this seems to just be ignored.

£1600pp - ffs OP you can get 5* shame el sheik place for £3k for four people all inclusive - I think you need to be a little flexible

Junk often private music lessons (which at our school many do) change times from week to week)other kids engage in sporting events others have duties around the school,some kids go on courses etc and schools cope.

But for some reason you're saying when the odd holiday occurs schools can't cope.Sorry ime the odd week off within 14 years of schooling is nothing compared to the daily comings and goings in your average primary classroom.

It was booked up on the Saturday, and I'm tagging it onto a family event in that part of the country on the sat night. We live many miles away from there and it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Dd has read all the books and ds is on the 3rd one. They've only recently watched the films and loved them. Ds is really into animation and film making and has, for the last two years put 'finding out how films are made' as a target for himself on his yearly assessment (don't know if all schools do that). His teacher has stated that she thinks it's a brilliant target but she doesn't think she can do much to facilitate it at school.

I think it's worth it.

Can find out 'how films are made' in the holidays! What a ridiculous excuse that one is!

It's not an excuse.

It is what I am doing, and why. I'm not asking for anyone's permission.

lesshaste, he'll probably learn more from that than my DSD did on her entire Moving Image Arts course. :)
Seriously - if lesshaste's child has a particular interest (which could very well turn, with encouragement, into more than a passing interest) in a subject, encouraging it is exactly what a good parent does.
Many schools would take kids on a field trip to exactly this sort of thing. Or far less educational. My DSD went to a chocolate factory.

Dd is going to a theme park as her school trip.

On a school day.

With the school.

That'll be educational though I suppose.

Just wondering why more of the families in the last few posts don't home educate, if the school provision is so poor compared with what they can offer themselves.

I certainly would if that was my experience of school.

Probably because while poster knows a trip to Alton towers their child will not learn anything educationally will have a nice time and don't actually think it is damaging to their education. Yet would also take their kids out term time in the interest of fun.

3/4 of my DS class was off last year with chicken pox for at least a week ...Somehow the world didn't crumble and the class didn't fall apart.

Rah sure... You can learn about film making and be a 'good parent' and facilitate it..... Outside school hours. That's what being a good parent is. Not flouting the rules

I haven't read the whole thread admits very long so I've probably missed lots but I am in a similar position OP, booking a holiday for May next year (my first one taking all 4 DC on my own - very nervous!!) and for the first day of half term it's over £3000! If I leave on the Wednesday before term ends it's £1200.

I booked to leave mid week and for the DC to miss the last 3 days of school. They will be 13, 11, 3 and 2 so the older boys will be year 8 and year 6. If I get fined then I'm still saving a lot of money although I'm just going to say they have a stomach bug and make sure there is nothing on Facebook etc to drop me in it.

I'm sure lots of people will think it's unreasonable of me to do that but half term holidays are so expensive and I don't think missing 3 days will really make much of a difference to their education. It's a one off, first time for the older DC going on a plane etc.

The value of foreign travel and extra curricular activities are huge.

It is too expensive for many families in holiday time.

The benefits of experiences will outweigh any negatives in the vast maj of cases and last I heard the maj of parents want what is best for their dc and are fully capable of making decisions accordingly.

Going by the last post all music lessons,fixtures,courses,events,monitor duties etc should be banned in school time.

Inspiration your yr6 child may miss some SATs, but that'll be the schools problem not yours.

I take them out for SATs anyhow, they pile so much pressure on to them for something that means nothing to the child. Last time the SATs came round my DS1 was so stressed about it that he made himself poorly. It's just not worth it.

Why is it a 'foreign' holiday is acceptable? Uk hols are twice the price in school holidays too...

I was lucky with DS1 as his class teacher didn't think much of SATs either so fully supported us (ds1 has dyslexia and with all the will in the world wasn't going to make much difference to the over all schools performance) allowing him to do other work when every one else was revising. His head teacher also agreed that they weren't important enough to risk him being so unhappy. It's a lovely school it's a shame to lose the relationship we have with then when ds2 leaves next year.

Anyone, you're right - it doesn't make any difference if it is a UK holiday or a foreign one. A £200 holiday or a £2000 holiday. That's all distraction.

This rule was brought in to sort truanting.

Parents taking their kids out for a week is not truanting.

What gets me is the double standards and time wasting which is allowed in school,if you're going to stop kids leaving the classroom you do it for everything.Making exceptions for the rich kids who can afford music lessons and courses and the more able at sports,curriculum areas is not on.

I also think trips,free afternoons,film watching,curriculum weeks etc should be scrutinised more if as a society we're going to insist that every second counts following set curriculums in classrooms.

Meanwhile, over on another thread, there's someone being summoned to a meeting with HT and EWO for 94.6% attendance due to illness. Probably because the school's attendance has fallen low due to people taking their kids out for holidays.