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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To panic about booked holiday and being fined?

64 replies

CreativeBee · 06/04/2017 18:55

Our 10 year old has special needs and part of her medical condition is that she has little control of her body temperature which means going abroad during Easter/Summer holidays is out of the question so hubby has booked a family holiday for December but it means that our 17 year old DS and 10 year old DD will miss 2 days of the last week before the Christmas holidays. AIBU to panic about being fined? DH asked me last week before he put a deposit down and I said that as it was the last two days of the Christmas school week they'll be fine but I'm now seriously worried 😩

OP posts:
cansu · 06/04/2017 20:35

Honestly don't even think about it. I am a teacher and think all this stressing about attendance and banning holidays is pure crap. Just phone them in sick and go on holiday.

AliceByTheMoon · 06/04/2017 20:37

Isn;t it only unauthorised absences and at the discretion of the HT? If they know your family circumstances then would they not understand?

Wishiwasmoiradingle2017 · 06/04/2017 20:43

Tell the school instead of your dc watching pantos /singing carols at concerts / Xmas parties /making calendars and all the other end of term stuff dc do - yours will be on a much needed holiday to benefit your dd. Is there any actual lessons the last week to miss?!

BubbleBed · 06/04/2017 21:51

Wishiwas, it depends on the school and year group. Primary, maybe not much teaching with the concerts etc, and tbh it's a horrible time for ASD students anyway (and more than once I've nearly withdrawn mine for a couple of days) but secondary dependant on subject and school and year group can teach right up to the last day.

Original poster
CreativeBee · 06/04/2017 22:17

I'm just going to have to wait and see, I'll write in closer to the time and see what they say. DS can go in as flight isn't until 8.20pm so if we take into consideration the check in he'll be ok (so he'll only miss one day). Won't be able to send DD in as she won't cope with a 6 hour flight and a full day at school so it'll still be two missed days for her

OP posts:
MrsJayy · 06/04/2017 22:23

It is 2 days last week of term pay the fine i doubt you will get 1 though.

MrsJayy · 06/04/2017 22:26

Lie say you looked at the wrong day when booking say you read you were flying the Friday night not the thursday night oops

AliciaMayEmory · 06/04/2017 22:32

I wouldn't worry one jot, OP. Some will say you don't need a foreign holiday, but there are many many things we don't need in life but still enjoy or want. 2 days before the Christmas holidays they will not miss much, I shouldn't think. I would forget about it for now and when the time comes if you have to pay the fine, so be it, write it off as a holiday expense and have a fabulous time. Smile

user1489261248 · 06/04/2017 22:33

I know plenty of people who have always taken their kids on holidays in school time. (Including me.) It's never affected their education, ever. In fact, I don't know any child whose education has been affected by the parents taking them on holiday in school time. I think it's a myth that this happens.

Paying a fine of around 60 pounds per child is nothing compared to the multiple 1000s saved by going on holiday in term time. I would always happily pay it, and would never challenge it and risk 1000s of pounds in legal fees, and anyone who does challenge it is daft imo

Funny though, how it's OK in the rest of the UK to take your child on holiday in school time, but not in England! Hmm

England getting the shit end of the stick as usual. Prescription charges, uni fees, yada yada yada! Angry

Original poster
CreativeBee · 06/04/2017 22:39

Grin I like your idea MrsJayy, plus it was DH who booked it so could just blame it on him being a "man" (I'm only joking before someone takes me blaming DH seriously)

OP posts:
MrsJayy · 06/04/2017 22:41

I think in wales they have a week 10 days during term time spare, here is Scotland you get an unauthorised absence poor England i felt sorry that it was upheld today It is ridiculous,

2014newme · 07/04/2017 06:48

Nobody has ever been fined for taking 2 days unauthorised absence. Fact.

@MrsJayy it's still unauthorised absence even if you claim you got the dates wrong. Schools are not allowed to authorise absence for the reason of parental error, only for exceptional circumstances which this is not.

But op will not be fined

Instasista · 07/04/2017 06:53

Rosieposy4 I'm always fascinated by this. Are you saying every lesson is essential for a level or just that you happen to teach the essential lessons very close to Christmas?

Afreshstartplease · 07/04/2017 06:56

Our local authority apparently don't consider a fine as long as attendance is over 94%

My DC have had no days off in I think the last two years atleast so this year I'm taking two days for a holiday

SnookieSnooks · 07/04/2017 07:13

I took my DCs out of school for a whole week after half term. One was in y7, the other in y5. It was to accompany their Dad on an exotic and highly educational work trip, so it couldn't be rescheduled.

The secondary school head said he didn't feel he should deny us this one off opportunity, so he approved it. The primary head said he couldn't approve it but because my DC's attendance was v good, we wouldn't hear any more about it.

Schools are aiming to keep attendance above 95% and get into trouble if it falls below this.

Mulberry72 · 07/04/2017 08:27

We're taking DS(10) out of school for the last week of the Summer term (he'll finish for the 6/7 weeks holidays a week early).

We've never done it before, he's had 1 sick day in his 6 years at school and if we get fined we'll pay it. I have no qualms about at tha

Mulberry72 · 07/04/2017 08:28

Sorry posted too soon -

I've no qualms about taking him out of school for that last week as all they do is play games, day trips and tidying classrooms etc.

SoulAccount · 07/04/2017 08:42

Well, there's the thing.
Some Children with special needs can need lots of time off for appointments, and because of their condition, so do have lower attendance to start with.

So no cheeky end of term holidays for THEM!

In addition, families with a child with many types of special needs will find their income affected. All those appointments in working hours, maybe a child who has frequent surgery, a child who finds it hard to manage school plus after school clubs... and BINGO! a family that finds it even harder to afford school holiday prices. And who may find the budget options like camping impossible.

People get very pursed lipped and smug on these threads.

KittyVonCatsington · 07/04/2017 08:48

Rosieposy4 I'm always fascinated by this. Are you saying every lesson is essential for a level or just that you happen to teach the essential lessons very close to Christmas?

Correct me if I'm wrong Rosie but aren't you saying that due to the sheer amount of content in the A Level (especially the new Linear ones) then every lesson scheduled is essential -none are wasted.

Cardibach-all our Year 12s and 13s have one 50 minute lesson everyday so even if I don't know my exact timetable, I would know that a 17 year old at my school would be guaranteed to have a lesson every day in the run up to Christmas hols.

Instasista · 07/04/2017 08:51

That's what I'm interested in. Do they really test so much content in the exams? A few years ago I finished my professional qualification and the exam technique was tremendous and I wonder if it can be applied to my children's exams

KittyVonCatsington · 07/04/2017 08:55

Well, obviously they don't test everything in one paper but the point being that we don't know what will be in a paper so yes, we have to cover everything in the syllabus (and sometimes more!)
And yes Exam Technique is taught but that takes up even more lesson time in addition to the theory (and then of course there may be practical work to do as well). I have planned 6 separate Exam Technique lessons since Christmas alone to try and help them answer questions properly (I wish it was as easy as just telling them to read the question!) but this just reinforces that every lesson is precious to me!

Sorry to derail your thread OP-I do hope you have a lovely time away

mummymeister · 07/04/2017 08:56

I think you might need to wait a bit to fully understand the recent judgement made in relation to fines. there have been suggestions that it will be £60 per session i.e. per half day not £60 for the whole absence.

I have started looking into this and cant find a clear answer yet. but all I do know is that the govt aren't happy that the fine is perceived as so low as to make it worth it just taking the time and have been looking at ways of increasing it so that it is more than the holiday saving. suggest everyone reads through the judgement and waits to see the govts comments before just assuming that it is "business as usual" as far as the fines are concerned.

Also there has been some discussion about whether it will be made an offence - like speeding - but that might just apply to those not paying the fines.

I think its all a bit up in the air at the moment and if I was anyone considering doing this I would wait a bit before booking.

mummymeister · 07/04/2017 08:58

Here is the link to the judgement

www.supremecourt.uk/cases/docs/uksc-2016-0155-press-summary.pdf

Increasinglymiddleaged · 07/04/2017 09:00

Hands OP a grip

It's paid for now, so you will just have to do it.

ProlificPoster · 07/04/2017 09:10

I wouldn't worry about it O.p, if you get fined it's not very much.

I'm not sure I'd mention your reason for having to go in the school term it sounds fake. Obviously I don't mean that you are lying about your DDs condition more that using that as the excuse why you have to book in term time sounds fake. IYSWIM

There would always be some holiday destination where you could go that would be an ok temperature for her during the holidays or you could have gone wherever it is you are going two days later....

Anyway, don't worry about it and look forward to your holiday.