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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To get so angry about the no compromise attitude of my kids headmistress

526 replies

twinsplus1sfb · 17/04/2015 09:19

Arghhhhh - need to vent.
Situation - I have 3 kids (2 in Yr2, 1 in yr 4). They have never been abroad experienced an aeroplane different culture etc etc.
Their grandad has booked an expensive family holiday abroad, unfortunately he got mixed up with the dates and booked it for the week before half term.
I put a holiday form in and got a phone call from the school - apparently that is SATs week for my twins.
We have looked into changing the dates - no can do.
So - and here's where I get angry - I went to the head and told her the situation and asked her if there was any way we could work together around this, could the kids stay late after school one day or come in at the weekend before the SATS or come in in the half term after SATS.
I just got a flat NO to every option I suggested - she said it would affect their grades, and their whole school career. I asked if there was anything I could do - and she said "Cancel the holiday, oh and there will be a fine"
I understand that taking them out is not acceptable - but come on school - can we not compromise??? Help a little??? I dont even mind paying the fine, I'm just so upset that she cant even work with me on them taking their SATS on a different day or different time - is it really that strict? Would all of the headmistresses out there say that?
My kids have 100% attendance, they have never missed any school for holiday reasons ever before - its so peed off - and its going to ruin my holiday. Any advice? Any body had nice experiences with their heads? Is there anything I can do so that my kids can take their SATS?

OP posts:
keepitsimple0 · 20/04/2015 15:07

They were still a year behind at the age of 14 or 15 though. I'm not suggesting that it has anything to do with taking holidays during term but sI don't think you can argue that their education system functions as well as the UK's so we should do what they do regarding holidays etc.

I didn't want to talk about the comparison of the two countries in terms of outcomes, as that's a different discussion. The only international comparison we really have are the PISA rankings. Look there (no doubt flawed, but there it is). the UK is ahead of the US, and both are behind Canada.

But as I said, it's got nothing to do with school holidays.

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