Follow up on last post ref Head/Holidays/Fining System etc

[twinsplus1sfb]

Thanks for all your comments. My experience has obviously fired up a lot of feeling out there. I have read all your points with interest, and I have calmed down. I realise the head had no option to say what she did. I was not suggesting she give me special treatment, merely trying to find another way of her getting her SATS figures. I dont mind if the kids don't do them, what I do mind is that she tells me it will affect the rest of their school career. As I think that is just scaremongering.
I do feel the system has a lot to answer for - and it is the heads and the teachers that feel the brunt of a bad system - Education secretary please note - this system you have at the moment is causing friction. Surely there must be a more creative way to ensure everybody can go on holiday to have quality time with their children/learn about different cultures etc etc without having to pay double. Lay person suggestions: Different authorities stagger their holidays? Each child is allowed 5 days authorised leave per year? Lets make this a positive post and get creative and make suggestions to change the system we have in place at the moment.

Private school parents are also subject to fines for unauthorised absence - at least, I know one parent in our school who has been - but it is true they have longer holidays so more scope for getting slightly off-peak deal

I'm also a teacher in Australia, and we can take a term-time holiday for very good reasons. I've had one approved this year (3 days off needed) because I've been selected to represent my state at a national event. I would never take one just for going on a cheaper holiday.

On all of these threads there is always someone who says:

"nasty holiday companies putting up prices at peak times, this is the problem"

I am genuinely staggered when I read this! If you run a holiday business and you can let it out equally 52 weeks of the year then the price can be equal. However, if you run a holiday business in a country that has seasons then it stands to reason some seasons (the warm ones or the snowy ones) will be more popular that others. In the less popular seasons the prices have to be lower.

add into this then the fantastic Gove changes. Now instead of having 52 weeks of the year to attract families with school children, you only have 13 weeks to do this since people cant take their kids out of school during the other 39 weeks. so guess what? the prices during the 13 weeks HAVE to go up to cover the 39 weeks when you don't have anyone staying.

Gove absolutely knew this. He knew prices would go up in school holidays and HE DIDNT CARE ! the industry warned him over and over again. Supply and demand.

as for staggering school holidays, well heres the thing. if you get a calendar and you mark on all the dates when things absolutely have to happen at the same time nationwide - like exams, exam results, UCAS forms, 11+, Sats, mocks, ISA's and religious dates like Christmas, Easter and bank holidays, there is very, very little wriggle room in terms of date staggering. that's why schools might add the odd few days here and there but no one can wholesale shift it so summer holidays start mid June to end of July.

Head teachers are intelligent well paid people who know their kids, their school and their area. it comes down to trust. give them back the decision and trust them to do their job.

DH and I had a discussion about this! We are lowish income and can't afford the massive holiday prices! We came up with a system where everyone was allowed one week authorised in school time off a year but you'd have red weeks which you couldn't take the time off in and years 10/11 weren't allowed a week off at all as it's such an important time GCSEs wise

Lolamon the problem with your idea is that if you have more than one child then there will be lots of years when one of them is in 10 or 11. we have 3 children 6 school years apart in total. working on your theory of no hols then would mean once the first child hits year 10 then no hols as a family until the last child has left school 8 years later! 12 and 13 are far more intense actually but perhaps you only have younger children and don't realise this.

we are in a job where neither we nor our staff can take hols during school holidays. I have always worked closely in conjunction with the heads to take my children out only when they said it was convenient to do so. I made sure all notes were copied by their friends and that it was their and my responsibility to make sure no education was missed. yes, we missed the odd end of year video, sports day or carol concert. I have no regrets about spending quality time with my children. self employed working every hour god sends to keep our business going means that this time together away from the "noise" is vital.

we had a system. it wasn't perfect but it could have been tightened up to give heads the powers and sanctions. but no. Gove knew best. he took back the responsibility from the teachers who are in the community and know there kids.

he bought in a giant sledgehammer that didn't even crack the nut.

No, we didn't have ANY information ref sats for KS1, only for Year 6 SATS. It was never written on any newsletter, and never mentioned at any meetings. If I had of known, things would have been different.
Anyway, I will be taking them out. I think the experience they will have will stay with them forever. I doubt taking a few tests will.
Thank you for your suggestions
If anyone can think of any other problem free options to get around not having to pay double to give your children the experience and memories that a holiday provide. Do let me know, I will pass them on to my local MP, whom Im sure will contact Mr Gove.