To think that 6 weeks before the summer holidays is far far too late to start changing the holiday dates

[Mumoftwoyoungkids]

School have just sent out an email detailing the dates of 2017/2018 term dates.

The dates have been on the website for months and months so not very exciting.

Except they have changed one of the flipping dates! The training day that was at the beginning of September is now after Easter. Unfortunately we booked our holiday based on the dates that have been up there for nearly a year.

So Dd is going to be starting juniors on very little sleep (late night flight) and poor little DS is going to be starting school on little sleep.

The worst thing is that they just sent the dates out as an email with no indication that something has changed. Luckily one of the dates is one that has significance for us or we quite easily could have missed it completely and just turned up a day late having missed ds's first day at school!

AIBU to be a bit lot annoyed with school?

Can I just point out if you were the teacher there aren't '6 weeks to go away in'.

Dh has 3 clear weeks to go away in (right at the beginning, at the most expensive time) due to gcse results day/A level results day/tidying classrooms and preparing boards day on the Friday before term starts.

So I've booked to go away in October half term after being massively pissed off about this for more than ten years.

I think term dates set by the LA are getting rarer, that situation would certainly be possible in my school, academy's and free schools can see their own dates. Drives me mad because even in the same LA if you have multiple kids in different schools the October half term especially can be completely different.

I though all schools got to choose a few inset days.

I think where I live 2 are set by the local authority and three are chosen by the school. The dates may have changed because they want to get particular outside training for the teacher and it wasn't available on the previously published date.

It's more usual for schools to hold back on dates then announce one, meaning I need to find childcare IME

YANBU They had publicly stated on their website what the dates would be. That is done so that everyone can plan.

To the people who are saying I wouldn't book my holiday that close to the end of the six weeks lucky you. Many people do not have free choice of the six weeks as they/partners/parents who help with childcare all have to juggle requests for time off with other people in their work place.

To the people who are saying I wouldn't book my holiday that close to the end of the six weeks lucky you

Not lucky at all.

OH has not been able to have any time off during the summer holidays for the past four years.

Last year took the kids on holiday without him.

I wouldn't book a holiday that gets back so close to the beginning of term.

I would choose not to go on holiday instead. The start of term is too important to miss.

I would choose not to go on holiday instead. The start of term is too important to miss.

Each to their own. I believe a family holiday is good for everyone (if the money is there). We've often ended up going away that last week and never missed a start of term. Don't be mislead I value education highly. DS has had 100% attendance most years and we've never holidayed in term-time.

We've only just had our summer return date confirmed! Tbh our school is terrible for short notice. 2 days for Christmas concert costumes. Sports day is next week yet still not been confirmed. It's very annoying!

iseenodust I was responding to your post when you said "lucky you".

I've pointed out I am not lucky. OH cannot get holidays during the summer break.

Not sure why that makes us lucky.

I have checked the website and absolutely nowhere does it say "training days are subject to change" so, as I am not a mind reader, or a teacher, and I tend to trust the school when it gives me information I'm not quite sure how I was supposed to know it could change.

For those that say that they wouldn't book their holiday right before the end of the holidays - well I know my kids and they both slot back into their routine very well given a day to adjust. It is a short haul flight so even with delays I was confident we would get back with plenty of time.

Yes - I had six weeks to book a holiday in - so I looked at those dates, looked at the holidays available, looked at flight times, looked at when I could get time off work, looked at when Dh could get time off work, looked at when in laws were free, looked at when we had childcare available (school holiday club is closed the last week of the holiday for school maintenance) and we booked the two weeks that worked best for us. Unfortunately it is a package holiday so no chance of changing flights.

I don't want to start doubting things that I am told by school (we have an excellent relationship with them at the moment) so hopefully they will come up with a sensible solution. We aren't the only ones in this situation.

"I would choose not to go on holiday instead. The start of term is too important to miss."

Really! Totally disagree, I abide by the school rules, don't take children out of school for holidays etc, but the dates given for school being closed are mine to do/go with as I wish. If the school change the dates then they have to accept absentees .

Update - Dh has gone into school and spoken to the deputy head. Apparently he is not the only one and she agrees that the training days should never have gone on the website until they were confirmed and it is their cock up.

They are having a leadership meeting today to try and come up with a solution.

Sounds like a good solution OP and glad the school are looking for a solution - the head sounds like a good 'in.

*good'un, even

Mumoftwoyoungkids

Each to their own.

However it would take something catastrophic for me to have my lo miss their first day at school.

Most parents take that as quite an important milestone.

Westray

Of course it is an important fucking milestone! That is why we carefully booked our holiday to ensure that (excluding volcanic ash) we would be back in time.

It is a short haul flight so even with delays I was confident we would get back with plenty of time

I would never make this assumption, even with short haul flights. In May half term I was away on holiday. Our return flight was only 1.5 hours late, but there were some other people whose plane had a technical fault and their flight was delayed from 4pm to 10am the following morning! I would always leave a minimum of 24 hours between my scheduled return and needing to be back to work/school.

If you're going away for the weekend you have to trust that things will be ok, but if you've got a proper holiday to plan for, always always leave a day inbetween.

Mulledwine We did! Land just before midnight on the Sunday / Monday. School starting Tuesday. Except now school starts on the Monday.

So we will be back in time (barring big delays) but kids will be shattered. And we'll have to pack school bags, leave out uniforms etc before we go.

mulledwine- I agree.

Even if the OPs original plan had worked, if would leave kids way out of kilter for the start of term.

Landing at midnight- probably getting to bed at 2am at the earliest- then either sleeping late the next day ( making it hard to sleep the following night) or getting up at usual time and being tired and out of sorts on the day that should be calm and organised preparing for school.
I like to get my kids into a good sleep pattern before the start of school so they are rested and prepared for the start of term.

And that's not accounting for any delays.

The upside is that there will be lots of parents who don't find out.
If you think you already know the date, why would you check/read it/notice it had changed.

So in effect there will be a staggered start any way.

It's happened now. It should not have been allowed to happen. Go and enjoy your holiday.
If DC are OK to go to school, they go. If not, not.
School will just have to suck up the consequences. And school won't be assuming that children starting school will have taken in all school info on first morning, never to be repeated.They wish!

Love the people saying , well we would never have booked for then. Obviously some people don't have to arm-wrestle others for the chance of getting hols in school holiday time, let alone coordinate with DH and other factors.
Have a great time.

This is terrible. Pleased to see you've managed to alert the school to this and hopefully it won't happen again.

YANBU, and I'm pleased to see that the school are aware that they've cocked up.

Mine have left school now, the youngest left last year, and as far back as I can remember the first day of the new academic year was always a training day at their schools.

Thanks for the messages and advice.

Agree the school / head is a good one - this is just an unfortunate admin cock up that happens to us all (I've made some right howlers at work!) and they - and we - will try and come up with a decent solution for.

Maybe we shouldn't have booked a holiday due to get back 32 hours before school starts - although we have done similar before and it worked out fine - but we made the best decision we could with the info available.

Will update when we hear from school.

Wahoo! They have changed it back!!!

Yay for lovely school for listening!

And......

BREATHE!