To consider a term-time holiday

[ScatteredMama82]

So I'm looking at prices of flights for February half-term next year to go skiing in Germany. For a family of 4 it's £1300 just for flights in half-term. For a different week it's £280! It's just a crazy amount of money. We love skiing, and are just getting back into it now that DS2 is old enough (he's 4). DS1 is 9 (will be Yr 5 next year). I think we're going to go in term-time. We did it this year, and it got approved by the school as DH is military and had been away all summer so we didn't get a family holiday. We won't have that excuse this time though (unless he gets sent away between now and February which is unlikely in his current role).

Would you do it?

A friend did this. Took her kids out of school for a skiing holiday and the reception aged child broke her leg.

I had no idea skiing was less of a risk during school holidays!

Do it, but do not expect the teacher to set work, go through what they will be doing in the time missed or help them catch up afterwards.
I totally agree that the price difference is crazy, but that shouldn't mean extra work for an already overburdened teacher.

It's not though, is it? It's about money. You can make #preciousmemories anytime anywhere. These threads are never about people saying they are really hard-up and wouldn't be able to take their dc on holiday at all at school holiday prices. It's always about getting a 'better' holiday for your money.

Sorry that was in answer to Hotseat's post.
at broken limbs being more likely in term-time holidays.

No, I wouldn't

It’s not always about getting a cheaper holiday at all.

Lol at skiing being a ‘valuable skill’
If you live in Antarctica maybe...

It’s not always about getting a cheaper holiday. What else is it about? That’s exactly what the OP is about.

A teacher at my school takes 2 weeks of “parental leave” after the exams each year and goes on holiday. That irritates me, even though it’s taken unpaid, but I would definitely take primary age children out of school for a term time holiday. And I certainly wouldn’t ask for work for them to do, or expect them to catch up anything when they got back.
Go on the cheap holiday, enjoy yourself, and pay the fine if you receive one. No problem.

it is unfair that they have extra work put on them in order to catch children up who have missed school to go on holiday.
I just write in their exercise book that such-and-such a topic has been missed due to holiday absence, so the parents are aware when they see the books at Open Evening.

The teacher either doesn't reach anything new whilst the child is away What? You think we say, "OK, kids, we're not doing fractions this week, or starting our new Romans topic because Suzy is away skiing."

How do schools justify non-educational trips like ski-ing (funnily enough), if it's so vital not to miss a week's education?

Not everyone enjoys camping.

Everyone in your LEA area pays for your children's education! The least you can do is to make sure they're at school to receive it

Nope. I paid for my daughters education so nobody else has lost out

also it is for the op but I was replying to another poster who said it’s always about money. It isn’t always.

For skiing consider Easter, snow sure resorts will be fine still (afternoons may be slushy but should be OK) and prices are very reasonable!

Op. Threads like this are divided. Personally I think primary yes high school no. However I work term time and my opinion doesn’t matter , neither does the 5 pages who have commented as you would probably be fined and it is up to your opinion on what you decide

Loads do it in our school. My reception aged child finished school three days early for the summer and was granted permission.

I would do it but the summer holidays are soooo long I would rather pay the stupid price to break it up

To whoever said to just say the child was ill has obviously never worked in a primary school or with young children

I wouldn’t if I could help it, although I can understand your wanting to.

Try looking at trains or eurowings flights, or fly out the Friday rather than the saturday. We go to Austria every Feb halfterm and by taking two flights and/or trains we saved over 1.5k for a family of 5.

There are a lot of double standards with fines. My son is for now in a independent school so he gets out of state term holidays. I’ll always take him Legoland when it’s quite, each time we go it’s full of school trips, yet some parents would be fined for doing the same.

Something else I always wondered is how people get fines? Can’t you just tell the school you child is sick and keep them off for a week? In the same way adults can self certificate for a week?

And you think your kid won't tell their mates about the amazing holiday they've just had?

Would depend on the timings😂

Or the holiday they were just about to go on? Kids are rubbish at keeping their mouths shut. As many a dishonest parent will attest.