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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

Araminta99 · 21/12/2016 15:59

It's ridiculous to think that missing a few weeks of school would impact their development. Many children are homeschooled and do better than school-educated peers, with things like holidays seen as part of their learning as they are being exposed to a new place, a different culture etc. which is much more beneficial than a school geography lesson.

MiaowTheCat · 21/12/2016 16:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SuburbanRhonda · 21/12/2016 16:36

Many children are homeschooled and do better than school-educated peers, with things like holidays seen as part of their learning

But the school curriculum is planned and structured for the whole academic year. So unlike with home schooling, work missed because of a three-week term-time holiday can't be caught up on by jiggling everything else around. Not when you have 29 other children to consider.

jellyfrizz · 21/12/2016 17:09

And in years 6 and 2 that's especially significant.

Only for the school, not the child.

yoowhoo · 21/12/2016 17:28

yellodraw I find your post incredibly rude. Who cares what skills they have?!
But for the sake of backing my point up, the office workers that I am referring to are pretty much most of my friends who have been in university and got a degree...some of them post graduate too I will have you know. But sadly you don't just come out of uni and get a 35k job do you! These friends work damn hard and often work overtime for no extra money (just like teachers)
I hate the way other teachers feel they have to beat everyone like they are on a hierarchy. Nurses and doctors work bloody long hours too and they don't get 13 weeks off a year!

Stillwishihadabs · 21/12/2016 17:43

Nurses and doctors do however
a) get to have some say over their holidays
b) Get recompensed for an to social hours

Middling nurses (band 6) are paid £26K (30 with supplementsome and 32 in London)
Doctors are paid 22 for the first year but 28-35 2 or 3 years out.

rollonthesummer · 21/12/2016 17:56

I hate the way other teachers feel they have to beat everyone like they are on a hierarchy. Nurses and doctors work bloody long hours too and they don't get 13 weeks off a year!

Not this old chestnut!!

yoowhoo · 21/12/2016 18:01

Yes I do agree with you there still

StealthPolarBear · 21/12/2016 18:06

I am anti term holidays but gas dots post is lovely :)

SuburbanRhonda · 21/12/2016 18:14

Only for the school, not the child.

Of course they're important for the child, unless you want to spend the whole of your child's education ignoring progress reports and measures of your child's attainment.

Designjunkie · 21/12/2016 18:22

Unless your children have poor attendance the rest of the year I don't see the problem. They are all in Primary school where they can easily catch up. Secondary school would be a different matter and would be an absolute no. Fwiw, my youngest still attends an outstanding primary. The head encourages travel as it broadens the mind and several parents have taken their children out of school. One I knew travelled abroad for 3 months, when they returned the child went up a set for English! It's only Primary, if your school body is fine with it just do it !

SuburbanRhonda · 21/12/2016 18:26

In what way does the head teacher "encourage" term-time holidays design?

jellyfrizz · 21/12/2016 18:37

Of course they're important for the child, unless you want to spend the whole of your child's education ignoring progress reports and measures of your child's attainment.

Huh? Why? My children didn't take year 2 SATS (we were living in another country at the time), it doesn't mean that I am spending the rest of their education ignoring progress reports and measures of their attainment. And how would missing 3 weeks in a SATS year lead to ignoring progress reports etc??

waterrat · 21/12/2016 18:53

Oh god just go and enjoy your holiday. It will make no difference to their lives whatsoever.

NavyandWhite · 21/12/2016 18:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

oldlaundbooth · 21/12/2016 19:03

In the minority here but I'd go for three weeks in October.

screechingcorella · 21/12/2016 19:04

Just go. It will not make the slightest difference to their schooling in the long term.

Have a fantastic time.

emben12 · 21/12/2016 19:27

Still wish - omg, are you saying that teachers are at a disadvantage to nurses because they don't get to choose when they have their 15 weeks off?! Seriously!!!

Yoowhoo - you speak a lot of sense!!

Mumzypopz · 21/12/2016 19:35

Year Six is a big deal, three weeks would effect the levels they come out with and these are taken into account when they go to High School. If they get good levels, would automatically go into top set, if not, they would be put in lower sets and have to work harder to move up. Personally I wouldn't do it.

Hulababy · 21/12/2016 19:48

Well it might not be ideal but it's booked now. They are primary age. Yes - sats but at the end of the day they're not really really important tests And they won't be for another several months after the trip.
It's a one off and tbh 3 weeks isn't much difference to 2 weeks.

We have several children at school who miss his kind of time due to visiting family abroad. So long as they are normally engaged pupils, and doing some form of 'education' in that time (bit of reading, writing something down, some maths 1 all could be done just through day to day stuff) they shouldn't fall behind too much anyway. Most schools don't cover important English and maths only once - well, not decent schools anyway.

You'll no doubt get a fine but it'll be no where need the £3000 you've been quoted to change the dates.

jellyfrizz · 21/12/2016 19:51

Mumzypopz even if the time off did affect their results (not hugely likely unless they were borderline anyway) every secondary teacher I know says that they take little notice of SATs results and reassess for setting once they arrive at secondary.

echt · 21/12/2016 19:55

Still wish - omg, are you saying that teachers are at a disadvantage to nurses because they don't get to choose when they have their 15 weeks off?! Seriously!!!

I rather think the poster was talking about the element of choice, that teachers don't get. But I also think you knew that.

user1472334322 · 21/12/2016 20:18

Op, just interested, where are you in the UK? As our October half term holidays where I am start on the 23rd not the 26th....
Glad you were able to change tickets with minimum fuss, although a fair amount for money. I guess since you've saved on fines it makes it a bit better!
I'm a teacher too and am glad your kids will only miss a week at school, if only for them in relation to friendships etc.
I'm not going to get involved in the teachers have lots of holidays debate either as that annoys me!!!!
Hope you and your family have a fantastic time, op!!!

emben12 · 21/12/2016 20:18

Echt, slightly missing the point. I don't think you can complain or have an issue with element of choice when you have 15 weeks off a year. Full stop.

Original poster

pinkdinosaur · 21/12/2016 20:19

We have changed The booking now!!

Cost us an extra grand in the end and the kids will only be out of school one week now

Thank you for all your advice i knew it would be right to ask and get other opinions!!

OP posts:

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