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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU - term time holidays not allowed for school nursery children?

48 replies

Nevertimeforcake · 14/09/2016 14:46

I'm not sure if this is a general rule but my dd has just started at a nursery attached to a seemingly lovely primary school near us. She has to do mornings, 5 days a week term time as they do not offer full days so it's quite restrictive. I asked the teacher what the policy was around taking her out for a weeks holiday during term time and was told it would be considered unauthorised absence but I could probably 'get away with' one holiday. This seems a bit ott to me - I intend to stick by this rule when my child starts school proper but a lot of pre-school is just playing so she's not going to miss major educational milestones is she?!

Teacher says the headmaster is 'training us' for when our children start school proper - do I need training?!

I'd like to make the most of our last year of not being tied to school holidays and do 3 term time holidays - is this a no no? Or would you do it and be damned?

OP posts:
phillipp · 14/09/2016 14:49

Our nursery was the same and as it was part time school, they had the same rules.

However in reality they didn't do anything when we took the kids out. It just seems they have the same rules on paper.

Whynotnowbaby · 14/09/2016 14:51

You should absolutely take advantage of term time holidays for this last opportunity before your stuck with school holiday times for years. A nursery may prefer you to take holidays out of term time and could I guess remove you from roll if you took a holiday every fortnight but one or two periods in the course of a year shouldn't be an issue.

fulltothebrimwithloveliness · 14/09/2016 14:53

Dd's preschool absolutely did not have this sort of set up. Lots of children there had older siblings at school so couldn't take term time holidays, but for the ones who could we were told to make the most of it while we could and have a fab time! They also offer whatever session times we wanted - if they hadn't I'd have thought them inflexible, annoying and probably wouldn't have wanted to send dd there!

MephistoMarley · 14/09/2016 14:53

Hahaha omg are they kidding? The beauty of pre school is having autonomy over your own child! And unauthorised? Really? What are they going to do about it? You're paying for this service. If I were you I'd look elsewhere, this is bullshit.

kierenthecommunity · 14/09/2016 14:54

Meh. Horlicks to that. Plenty of time for them to 'learn' about school when they're in reception (which some may argue is still pretty young for school as it is)

Ilovewillow · 14/09/2016 14:54

I'm not one for agreeing with term time holidays but for a nursery aged child, yes I absolutely would take them out. Not sure as a parent this is a training need!!

wayway13 · 14/09/2016 14:55

As far as I'm aware, your child is not of compulsory school age so there is not legal obligation to attend and therefore you cannot be fined. If you were to frequently miss sessions then your place may be withdrawn but this shouldn't happen for the odd holiday assuming attendance is usually good. I'm planning on taking DD on holiday during term time next year.

Sparklesilverglitter · 14/09/2016 14:55

I don't see why they nursery can do about it tbh, you are paying for the nursery and your DC is under no legal obligation to attend.

Go on a term time holiday, enjoy the cheapness

Paulat2112 · 14/09/2016 14:57

What will they do if you do take dd out? lol, next time don't ask. It's nursery, not compulsory so you don't need to tmdlfind out their policy.

GreatFuckability · 14/09/2016 14:57

school nurseries are all mornings or afternoon sessions. thats not unusual.

but on the holiday thing, until they are of compulsory school age they can't actually do anything about it.

Paulat2112 · 14/09/2016 14:58

Tmdlfind = find Confused

AndNowItsSeven · 14/09/2016 14:58

They are being ridiculous , there is no such thing as unauthorised for nursery children and also reception children until term after fifth birthday.

BaronessEllaSaturday · 14/09/2016 15:00

The nursery my dd attended tried the same thing but there is nothing they can actually do about it so ignore it. Oddly enough although they state you can not take holidays in term time they did authorise any that were requested.

NotMyMoney · 14/09/2016 15:04

I'll have a just over a month when DC3 starts school (year 1) when I can take her out she'll be out for a week to go visit family. And she'll be having one day a week off in reception next year so we can go out for the day zoo's, swimming, play centres basically anything sleep want. The rad won't be happy but she's bright and will have a minimum of 15 years at school

NotMyMoney · 14/09/2016 15:05

AndNowItsSeven stupidly forgot it was the term after their 5th may enjoy a few trips to family in that case Grin

AndNowItsSeven · 14/09/2016 15:10

Yes NotMy, definitely take advantage of family trips, like you say your dc have many years ahead of full time education.

budgiegirl · 14/09/2016 15:12

I'm only guessing, because I don't really know how funding works, but if you are getting the 15 hours free nursery, does it affect how much the nursery can claim if you take your child out for holidays?

That's the only reason I can think of that they would say that term time holiday is not allowed. I suppose there is a risk that they could remove you from the nursery, but I took mine out of nursery for holidays fairly regularly (once or twice a year), attendance is not legally compulsory.

Crunchymum · 14/09/2016 15:13

My DC1 attends a pre-school [FT] attached to a primary school the one we hope he will attend BUT it is very over subscribed

I actually got a letter about his attendance last year - was less than 92% due to illness - and I went batshit. How dare they try to force my DC into attendance to bump up the figures of a school he most likely wont get a place in!!!!

I was so mad.

I am actually taking him out for a week next year. Plus he will likely catch all the illnesses again!

Aeroflotgirl · 14/09/2016 15:13

How absurd! Legally your child does not have to be at school until they are 5, so holiday all you like, they can't do anything! Our school attached nursery was fantastic, we never had this issue.

AndNowItsSeven · 14/09/2016 15:16

No budgie holidays don't affect funding as school nursery aren't given cash, only private nurseries are.

t4nut · 14/09/2016 15:20

Nursery so as above its nonsense - tell them to go stick it.

budgiegirl · 14/09/2016 15:22

No budgie holidays don't affect funding as school nursery aren't given cash, only private nurseries are

Bugger that then, get off on your hols, OP!

RubbleBubble00 · 14/09/2016 15:34

The nursery attached to the school is hardly going to tell u to take term time holidays. They have given u the best green light they can by telling u it will prob be overlooked

gillybeanz · 14/09/2016 15:43

I'd be telling them to do one. it's only school where they can have un authorised absence as nursery isn't compulsory.

c3pu · 14/09/2016 16:11

I'd love to see what they did if you did take the child on an unauthorised holiday! LOL.

If you're that worried, just phone them in sick for the duration.