To take dd out of school for a term time holiday?

[Rattusn]

Her attendance is 100% so far this year, and I work in the public sector and only get fixed annual leave. This never falls during the school holidays, so if I don't take her out of school, we would never get a holiday. She is very clever, and exceeding expectations academically.

Wibu to take her for a term time holiday?

[MrsJayy]

No dont ask for extra work she would be as well at school who wants to do homework on holiday

[OhFuds]

I took my DD out of school every year either May or June time (usually June as it was the last 2 weeks before summer break). She's now 18 and is at uni, I don't think it does much harm pulling kids out for family holidays. I'm sure she learned more about Egypt in the two weeks we went one year than she would've learned at school.

[MrsJayy]

My Dds are working/college and they are not slackers cos we took them out of school for a holiday. The middle of june is £s cheaper to go away we saved £300 1 year to go to florida week before schools broke up

[Rattusn]

I won't bother the teacher for extra work, I'll just continue doing our KS1 work books. At this stage I don't imagine anything drastic will be missed in a month.

[Rattusn]

It is 20 session, ie 10 days, before being fined.

[sonlypuppyfat]

DDs friend has had a week off poorly and today she's phoned up ill but she's going on a weeks holiday, they are in yr11 I think this is wrong. But for a 6yr old it's absolutely fine

[BitOutOfPractice]

God I would like a flash. Have a lovely holiday OP

[Bagina]

Yes, do it. Life's too short. Don't they prefer for you to just go sick though? I could be wrong.

[LouBlue1507]

Go for it! Not all learning takes place in a classroom... Missing 5 days of school WILL NOT affect your DD's education or future protects!

[Sirzy]

I don't like the "good attendance" and "clever child" justifications/reasoning for doing it, and in general I am against term time holidays but if it's the only chance you get for a holiday then do it

[BeautyGoesToBenidorm]

We're taking our DC on holiday a couple of days before May half term. DS1 will be 6 by then, so I'm not worried about him missing anything important, and flights are almost half the price if you go just before half term!

His head of year is absolutely fine about it, he appreciated me clearing it with him first though.

[myownprivateidaho]

Problem is that statistics show that missing a week of school does have an impact on performance. Particularly if she gets ill or something, she might end up missing quite a lot. Personally I wouldn't remove from school on the ground that I believe that parents don't have the right to interfere with a child's education. However, I get why you would want to.

[myownprivateidaho]

I also don't really understand why it's better to take a clever child out of school than a struggling one. ALL children should be learning in school -- it's not like the clever one will learn less in a week than the struggling one.

[Rattusn]

I've only said about the good attendance, and attainment, to give context. Some may disagree with me on the importance of this, which is fair enough. Personally, I would find it harder to take a child who is struggling in school academically, out of school during term time.

Dd is making good progress, but I believe there is a degree of coasting as the teacher has to teach to a wide variety of levels. I think her teacher is excellent, and this is in no way a criticism. I simply believe that what they can do during class time to stretch a bright child is limited, when there are nearly 30 children, and only one teacher and one ta.

I value her education, so I'm not taking this decision lightly.

[raspberryrippleicecream]

If your annual leave doesn't fall in school holidays and you have no choice, school should be able to authorise it as an exceptional circumstance

[Mishaps]

Just do it! - there is so much more to be learned from a trip than from sitting in school pursuing the current restrictive curriculum.

[Rattusn]

raspberry would it count as an exceptional circumstance? I got the impression that the current definition is very restrictive, ie would only cover funerals/other extreme circumstances. I may well be wrong though.

[TeenAndTween]

Get your employer to write confirming you can't take holiday in holiday time.
Then just don't take her out during y1 Phonics test week or y2 SATs week.

[Rattusn]

I assume that at the end of year one teen ?

[BitchQueen90]

YANBU. I plan on doing it with DS when he starts school (obviously not around exam times or when anything important is happening). There's no chance I could afford a holiday out of term time and I'm not making him miss out. I went on holidays with my DM in term time as a child and I did well at school.

Luckily the council where I live has stopped issuing fines for term time holidays as long as attendance is good.

[TeenAndTween]

Yup, the phonics screening tests are done towards the end of y1. Schools have a certain period of time when they do them it isn't a fixed week. However if you are trying to stay friendly with the school it would be polite to check what week they were planning and not go away then.

[sleepy16]

We go for a long weekend (my son is autistic and can only do short holidays and when it is quiet) and we always go term time and have the Monday of.
We are always truthful with the school and tbh they have been fantastic.
I see it as long as your child hasn't exams or anything that would be detrimental to there learning then bloody go for it and enjoy.

[Suzcat78]

Do it! I did it last year and doing it again in December. Just give the teacher or Head lots of notice so they are aware of it. Some people won't agree of course, but hey! You two go and have an amazing holiday!

[Gallopingthundercunt]

I believed that if your employer wrote a letter stating that holidays in school holiday time were not possible, then you would get it authorised anyway?

It's worth an ask but I would still be going any way

DS is in yr8 now so we really have to suck up the increased costs. When he was younger we always holidayed in term time