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AIBU?

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Original poster

To consider a term-time holiday

247 replies

ScatteredMama82 · 02/05/2019 16:00

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?

OP posts:
Kokeshi123 · 04/05/2019 15:42

No problem as long as you are of the mindset that you don't rely on the school to take care of education.

We do lots of educational stuff at home (workbooks, diaries, reading, educational tablet) so I wouldn't hesitate to do this.

Kokeshi123 · 04/05/2019 15:46

I'd have passports withdrawn for a period of time, or have those who did not do this be front of the queue for secondary school places

Well, I think I'm quite glad that people like you are not making the rules. Pesky things like "human rights" and all that, you know....

TitchyP · 04/05/2019 15:49

Yes, I'm sure that when they end up in a dead end job because they failed their exams as their parents thought holidays were more important than their education, they can think about their skiing trip whilst they stuff pickled onions into a jar on the factory line.

^^ The most ridiculous thing I've read on MN. Grin

PoptartPoptart · 04/05/2019 16:18

@JacquesHammer maybe they do apply though!
When parents book a term time holiday they have no idea what lessons are on the teaching plan for those weeks that their child will miss!

People say they don’t expect the teacher to catch their child up and they will do it themselves. Maybe if your child is in Reception then a bit of reading here and there is adequate. However, by the time children get to the Juniors (and upper juniors in the op’s case) then a lot of the time parents can’t help their child catch up because a) it’s been years since they did it themselves and b) there are different terminologies, strategies and methods used today than there were back in the day!

JacquesHammer · 04/05/2019 16:27

When parents book a term time holiday they have no idea what lessons are on the teaching plan for those weeks that their child will miss!

You misunderstand me. I knew exactly what was on the timetable that week. It was two weeks prior to the end of term and one of their “fun” weeks. She missed a workshop, a day spent with the littlies, a mural painting day, Sports Day and a trip to a cinema.

She was 100% given the choice and she wanted to go on holiday.

There was no issue with authorising anyway as it was a private school. When I spoke to the Headmistress, she agreed there would be far more educational value in the trip we were proposing.

applesarerroundandshiny · 04/05/2019 16:43

I would definitely do it - and whether or not you will get fined friends on the area that you live in. Where I am you certainly wouldn't get a fine but you won't get it authorised either.

I never took DS out of school term time for week long holidays myself but that was more because I worked term time myself. There would be the odd day though where I could take time off in lieu so we would travel, say the Friday the children were breaking up. At secondary school there was an absence line to phone in on so no person to person contact and I just left a message saying I was DS's mom and that he wouldn't be able to be in school that day. Nobody ever came back to me asking why (although I imagine they would have done had attendance been an issue otherwise).

Buster72 · 04/05/2019 16:49
  • Yes, I'm sure that when they end up in a dead end job because they failed their exams as their parents thought holidays were more important than their education, they can think about their skiing trip whilst they stuff pickled onions into a jar on thefactory line

Never fear my parents took us out of school for 2 months of back packing across Europe. Best time of my life and 30 years later it remains a memory mom and I still talk about and marvel over the photographs.

Now I get my revenge by dangling my testicles into every 5th pickled onion jar I pack....

Tunnockswafer · 04/05/2019 17:01

I would feel doing it a couple of times in a child’s school career is fine, doing it every year is not fine. Which are you planning, OP?

PoptartPoptart · 04/05/2019 17:22

@JacquesHammer great. But that’s not always the case and, although I was addressing your post, I was talking in more general terms.
There are proper statistics showing the correlation between school attendance and outcomes for children that the DfE publish.
I cba to find them and link but if anyone is particularly interested a quick google will point you in the right direction.

Thehop · 04/05/2019 17:29

We have and would again.

SauvingnonBlanketyBlanc · 04/05/2019 17:29

We are doing it,we go half term week then the second week is in term time.Massive price difference tbh but ds is in Reception so slightly different.

JacquesHammer · 04/05/2019 17:30

But that’s not always the case

Absolutely - hence why I suggested it was another option to “ignoring” or “glossing over”.

How far does the research break it down though? I agree there’s a correlation between attendance and attainment as part of a bigger picture. I don’t think it’s ever possible to say a holiday during school time causes issue with achievement later on, certainly if the absence is during primary.

AlaskanOilBaron · 04/05/2019 17:59

Never fear my parents took us out of school for 2 months of back packing across Europe. Best time of my life and 30 years later it remains a memory mom and I still talk about and marvel over the photographs.

Sounds amazing. My husband and I had always planned to take the kids out for a term and backpack across South America, they'd learn Spanish...

whathaveiforgottentoday · 04/05/2019 18:05

Yes I would. If I wasn't a teacher I would happily take my kids out for one week.
I love skiing but haven't taken my own kids purely because I can't afford it because it's so expensive in the school holidays.
As a teacher as long as they have good attendance normally and it's not an exam year, I would go for it and suck up the fine

PoptartPoptart · 04/05/2019 18:07

The research is pretty comprehensive and breaks it down quite considerably. The DfE specifically mention KS2 which is obviously juniors in primary.
No idea how to link but it is really easy to find via google.

JacquesHammer · 04/05/2019 18:18

The research is pretty comprehensive and breaks it down quite considerably

It also states that SEN and FSM need to be taken into consideration as contributory factors.

Aragog · 04/05/2019 18:22

Re missing lessons and important work.

It would be a pretty dodgy school that only ever covered important concepts just once in the child's school life. All key concepts, especially inc core subjects, should be covered repeatedly, over the year and over each key stage where they will be built on.

JacquesHammer · 04/05/2019 18:23

Of course another important factor is attendance throughout the rest of the year.

For example DD had a week off, no further time off at all throughout the school year, attendance = 97%+ so far less worrisome than persistent low-level absence.

AlaskanOilBaron · 04/05/2019 19:16

The research is pretty comprehensive and breaks it down quite considerably

If you're suggesting that children who go on term-time holiday are less academically able, I think this is far too blunt a measure to be meaningful (as JacquesHammer alludes to).

What if they're visiting ruins or museums?

PoptartPoptart · 04/05/2019 19:18

Well if she gets ill with a nasty bug or virus (after the holiday) in the same school year then that attendance figure then drops below 97%..

PoptartPoptart · 04/05/2019 19:19

That can visit ruins or museums at any time in the 13 weeks of the school holidays!

JacquesHammer · 04/05/2019 19:20

Well if she gets ill with a nasty bug or virus (after the holiday) in the same school year then that attendance figure then drops below 97%

Given her illness record throughout school was 0% in 8 years, it was a fairly safe gamble Grin

Fortunately she came back and managed the remaining 8.5 days of school that year.

NikolaPiccola · 04/05/2019 19:21

I think it's a stupid idea because 1) they're missing out on their education which a holiday isn't a good enough excuse for and 2) I'm pretty sure that it's breaking the law. Missing out on even a week of school can seriously make a massive difference in their performance, and also the way their teachers treat them!

Namenic · 04/05/2019 19:22

Education policy in this country is crazy. Why does ofsted downgrade schools for poor attendance? Surely the demographic matters more? Can schools force parents to take their kids?

Nicknacky · 04/05/2019 19:30

So the people who are dead against it, what about the parents that dont get annual leave in the school holidays? Do you think this families should never have a holiday?