Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To take our kids on a 3 week holidays in term time?

152 replies

pinkdinosaur · 20/12/2016 21:35

Evening all

We have Totally messed up and booked our holiday of a life time in term time!!

We have just found out the october holidays have moved next year and instead of the kids missing 2 weeks of school which we checked was ok with the council education dept (we will be fined) now the third week we have booked is not in the holidays as we thought!!

Panic

So wwyd?? Take them out (all at primary) and sod it its our american holiday of a life time and vow renewal!! Or change the dates?? Costing 3k more!!

Has anyone taken there children out of school for that Long???

OP posts:
bangingmyheadoffabrickwall · 21/12/2016 08:57

Personally I would go.

Learning can be done when you get back and children DO catch up.

yoowhoo · 21/12/2016 10:06

I come from an education background, I am now not currently teaching, but have done and still have my foot in the door within the education sector. Those of you who are saying 'we don't get paid for holidays' well I guess technically you don't, but your pay takes into account the fact you have LONG holidays. Most teachers start on around 21k and slowly increase up to late 20s or more! I know many people who work office jobs for just 18k and they work all year round!! So I would argue that technically you are paid for your holidays. This isn't a bash against teachers, like I say, I come from that background and I know damn well that teachers work really really hard. But so do many other people but those other people don't get 13 weeks off a year!

Op, I would go. Children would catch up. If your child was ill and in hospital for example, they would also catch up when back at school, so it's no different to if a child were on holidays.

gluteustothemaximus · 21/12/2016 12:22

Got to laugh at the suggestions of 'just pay the extra 3k' like it's just loose change knocking around.

We're talking just 5 days as they were happy with 10. When the old system was in place we took holiday every year because of financial reasons. But on mumsnet you're supposed to put education first and rather not have a holiday at all if you cannot afford it in school holidays.

DS wasn't affected at all. He's doing very well at grammar school now. He has lovely memories of holidays every year in primary.

Hope you go and have an amazing time!

Funnyface1 · 21/12/2016 12:28

Go for it and have a fantastic time, the world won't end because they miss a few weeks and they will get so much out of it. I think these things are really stupidly blown out of proportion.

TheNaze73 · 21/12/2016 12:30

I think YABU.

As a tax payer, threads like this get my goat

SuburbanRhonda · 21/12/2016 12:36

If your child was ill and in hospital for example, they would also catch up when back at school, so it's no different to if a child were on holidays.

It's no different in the sense that the child is not in school. However, as PP have said, teachers would understandably be less inclined to support a child to catch up if they were absent due to a holiday than if they'd been ill.

Dixiechickonhols · 21/12/2016 12:39

Agree about secondary school open nights, one was first week back for dad this time. Also I assume not in grammar area if you are contemplating - if you are 11 plus exam will be early/mid sept.

Rosa · 21/12/2016 12:39

We have taken 2 weeks out and my dds went back on MOnday ( we are in Italy ) and it was encouraged by the teachers im both classses as it was seen as important family time . Both of us work in the tourist industry so we are busy all school holidays ! DD2 8 took a reading book and has already caught up on missed work- written we have some learing to do , She has managed to learn the dance for Fridays school concert and we are playing the songs in the evening from you tube .some colouring whcch will be done over the holidays. DD1 last year of primary as already done most of the work she missed - I have the test sheets for a science test she missed which we will do and she will do some more extra work this evening. BY Friday it will all be done . So she has caught up on EVERYTHING that they did in 2 weeks. The memories and fun we had and we created as a family cannot be learnt from a book or studied . Just saying that it can be done and the kids can catch up ... We got back last Friday and in a week they will both be back up with the rest of the class!

jellyfrizz · 21/12/2016 12:45

teachers would understandably be less inclined to support a child to catch up if they were absent due to a holiday than if they'd been ill.

Teachers support each child that needs it regardless of the reason that they've been off. And push those that already understand. It's called differentiation.

jellyfrizz · 21/12/2016 12:47

As a tax payer, threads like this get my goat

Why?

SuburbanRhonda · 21/12/2016 13:03

It's called differentiation.

Differentiation means teaching according to each child's needs. It doesn't mean spending time and probably TA resources bringing a child up to speed whose parents have taken them out of school for a holiday to save money.

jellyfrizz · 21/12/2016 13:16

Differentiation means teaching according to each child's needs.

Yes, regardless of how those needs occur. Parental choices often lead to greater needs, some children aren't given breakfast which affects concentration. Some parents don't read or do anything at home with their children. Are you going to refuse to differentiate for those?

SuburbanRhonda · 21/12/2016 13:21

If course children who aren't given breakfast would be supporting if it impacted on their learning. What an odd question.

My post was about not diverting TA and other resources to catch up a child who falls behind because of a term-time holiday.

Original poster
pinkdinosaur · 21/12/2016 13:22

We have changed The dates cost us an extra grand in the end the kids will have only 1 week out if school so we save in fines too

Thank you all for the support and advice

OP posts:
Stillwishihadabs · 21/12/2016 13:57

I'm sure that's the right decision pink

gabsdot · 21/12/2016 13:58

My son missed 3 weeks of school once when we was 6. We went to Russia to adopt his sister. It was an amazing experience and was quite educational in it's own way.
Missing 3 weeks of school for an amazing family holiday in the US is no big deal IMO. But I live in Ireland where you don't get fined for missing school etc.

Looneytune253 · 21/12/2016 14:02

As long as they're not in yr 2 or yr6 I would do it as it's a once in a lifetime thing (and I don't agree with taking hols in school time). If they are in yr 2 or 6 it's a busy yr for them and they will need good attendance in preparation for their SATs. I would rearrange for the following year or during the 6 weeks holidays.

Sweets101 · 21/12/2016 14:10

As a tax payer, threads like this get my goat

Why?? Confused Are you on the wrong thread?

YelloDraw · 21/12/2016 14:28

Most teachers start on around 21k and slowly increase up to late 20s or more! I know many people who work office jobs for just 18k and they work all year round!

LOL. How many of those 'office workers' have post-graduate degeees...?? i can't believe you are saying teachers should be grateful because low skilled office workers get paid less.

TwoGunslingers · 21/12/2016 14:35

Good decision OP

Still stunned at 15 weeks holidays 😂

NavyandWhite · 21/12/2016 14:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CottonSock · 21/12/2016 14:38

What would you regret more....?

UnicornInDMboots · 21/12/2016 14:48

Ahh you made a good choice Anyway as seems you won't have lost too much by going and paying less fine.
I'm an SEN teacher and would have said your original three weeks was fine though. Kids in my (SEN) school did it frequently and for longer to be honest. It is a big deal for kids to go to theme parks etc and I have taken pupils with ASD to places like Thorpe Park and it was stressful enough when the place was dedicated to just SEN schools... It was quiet and that was still a lot of people for some of our students !
Great that you managed to change it but I think some people have blown three weeks out of proportion somewhat! It's three weeks out of a lifetime of school! Kids catch up. One bout of chicken pox and you've lost half the class for 2-3 weeks each so...

deblet · 21/12/2016 14:49

I took mine out for three weeks in October to go to Florida.Y5 and Y6. It is the best time of year to go. Its only primary school, if they are doing ok just have a good time and help them catch up when you get back.

SuburbanRhonda · 21/12/2016 15:42

It's three weeks out of a lifetime of school!

But it's not spread out over the lifetime of school is it? It's three weeks in one half term in one academic year. And in years 6 and 2 that's especially significant.