To ask how many of you take your children on holiday during term time?

[Afternooninthepark]

In order to have an affordable family holiday do you take your dc out of school?
If you do, have you ever been fined by the local authorities?

I don't, I'm a teacher (not currently working due to ill health). But I know people who do. You can be taken to court for it.

Every Indian family I know has done this occasionally, paid the fine, and then their kids end up being amongst the top performers anyway. The problem is if it keeps happening.

I would if I didn’t work in education

Me. Every year. Fined twice, but both times only for one child rather than both of them.

Yes and no!

Whilst DD was at prep school I took her out for 4 days and then 6 days - fully authorised by school (although both times I was careful with timing).

Since secondary she’s had a single day to manage a change to scheduled flight times, but this wasn’t a choice to do it.

I have ( because of ds's disability not affordability) before the fining thing came in but my LA don't fine unless holiday taking is excessive. I don't now because I think ds would rather be at school. We don't do holidays at all.

I am next year and have factored the fine into the cost but by going just shy of 3 weeks before the summer holidays it's quite literally less than half the price. We wouldn't be able to afford during school holidays and am desperate for a break. Well be taking him to lots of sights and educating him on the culture too. Plus hes learning the language at primary school so we plan to encourage him to speak the language where he can.

I ask because we have always had a touring caravan and holidayed in August but the kids are now 11 and 14 and we are selling the caravan as they no longer enjoy it.
I always knew holidays would be more expensive in July/Aug but I’ve just been looking for next year and am shocked at the massive jump in prices from June to July/Aug.
Not sure if we would realistically be able to afford an August holiday 🙁

If we did take him it would probably be authorised by school due to exceptional circumstances.

Yes, we do, most years, for 3-5 days. It's not really a question of saving money (although that is a factor), more that we enjoy going abroad but can't stand the summer temperatures. A week in May isn't long enough so we normally take 3 days before or after.

I wish they'd take two weeks off the summer holidays and add them to the May and October half terms!

I’m in Scotland so we don’t get fined. Although my kids holiday generally get authorised as I’m an emergency service worker with set leave breaks.

We used too once a year, when our children were still at school, but only usually for a few days, by booking to go away just before the school hols started, never got fined, and the holiday was so much cheaper.

DH and I both teach so we can't, and probably wouldn't anyway, but I do understand why people do.

If your 14yo is in year 9 then this is the last year that I would say you can get away with it. If they are in year 10 then I would strongly advise against it.

I may just risk it for next year and see if we get a fine. It annoys me a little that my friends son (who is at the same school as my dc) is authorised at least 2 weeks off per year by the school to play his hobby (sport related) and spends those two weeks in a sweaty sports hall never seeing any of the country he has travelled to yet if I took my dc out of school and spent it visiting museums and the like dh and I would more than likely receive a fine!

I've done it once and been fined for it. I could just about afford a holiday at all--there is no way I can afford school holiday prices.
I feel it's great for my relationship with DC (10) and benefits our MH. I'd, definitely, do it again but not a crucial stage (GCSEs).

Yes I have, odd day here and there. Mainly because DD’s school has different holidays to DS (although they will be at the same school next year). Never been fined, although it’s always been unauthorised

I've done it once. Was going to California and had to travel when people could get time off work. School counted it as unauthorised absence but DC had really good attendance so wasn't fined or anything. I've been quite lucky with schools because they seem to understand that sometimes you have to make choices that are best for your family as a whole and can't always prioritise school above absolutely everything else. But I certainly wouldn't do it every year or during key testing periods etc.

Mine aren't school age yet but if we can't take the children out for a little holiday in term time, they will never get a holiday. We are farmers, it is harvest for all of the school holidays. Easter is lambing, May half term is hay making, October and February half term is drilling...
I think a week out of school, spent with their family during a quiet period, could be so valuable to them (and us!) At the moment, we tend to have holidays either in the first week of July or around this time of year.

I've done it twice now in the last week of term. 99% attendance and kids performing well so I don't think there is a detriment and we save way more than a fine by going a week before school holidays. I won't do it once eldest gets to more serious stuff. The head didn't fine us because she's a very sensible pragmatist thank goodness but I'm sure she'd crack down if people started to take the piss.

I used to take my children out of school for 2 or 3 days every other year when they were at primary, usually just before Easter or February half term. One example was by flying out to Cuba before 2 days before Easter holidays we saved £1700 13 years ago. There weren’t fines then, my DC did very well at school and are now at excellent universities plus they’ve seen really a lot of the world. They were very fortunate to have maybe one sick day every three years so had really excellent attendance.
I didn’t take them out of school once they were at secondary school.

We take the DC out for a week every year to visit London. ..... the school don't have an issue with it. They're secondary school age.

We planned to tack 3 days onto the May half term.
We lost our holiday with Thomas Cook and since then both my kids have quite a lot of illness (5 days for y2 and 8 days for reception child) so I'm thinking we've just got to suck it up and go in the summer holidays.

We do, we're a military family so can't always go in holidays etc

I probably would but I also work in education. DS is still in primary school though for the rest of this year, not sure I would when he’s in secondary. October half term can be a lot cheaper. We never go in summer, that’s the best chance of actually having nice weather here! I’d rather go in October when you know the weather’s going to be rubbish!