Headteacher says I can't go on holiday

[Scuzzymummy]

Ok so this might not be a problem in a few weeks and please please believe me when I say I have done everything possible to ensure my pupils have had my attention and expertise when needed during lockdown. I have recorded lessons, marked work, given feedback etc... I know lots on MN have some very strong feelings about teachers at the moment 😬.
So I have a holiday abroad booked for the 18yh August. I have been hanging on and hanging on to see if we can go. We are so desperate for a break- who isn't- but my headteacher has emailed today and said that of quarantine measures are still in place in September then holidays at the end of August need to be cancelled. What do I do, I know I need to be back in September, god knows I want to have actually children in front of me not a bloody screen. But if we cancel we will loose hundreds and hundreds plus the holiday. We can't change the date, my husband is not able to change. Help!

In Scotland, you would need to work from home for this period and it would be paid.

How is this quarantine going to be enforced? IMO you could probably just go on holiday and then back to work and no one need be any the wiser.

If quarantine is still in place then it will be in place for a reason.
Can't believe people would advocate you going back to the school after flying through a non quarantine country.

I'm definitely not a strict lockdown advocate but I wouldn't want my kids teachers doing this!
Imagine you caused an outbreak!

I don’t think the quarantine will still be an issue by then, I would go and enjoy.

He can't dictate your holidays. Just put it on the hands of your union. It's not part of your terms and conditions

Your response is. I'm sorry I'm on a pre arranged holiday. Any queries please direct to my union rep

I would still go. As others have said things could change before then. How many parents will cancel their holiday under similar circumstances ? Not many I would imagine judging by comments on mumsnet.

The union have been very clear on this check on your union website. (plus quarrantine will not exist by then. They are announcing the airbridges and end of quarrantine next week

So all those saying she OP should go - you happy for your kids to miss another 2 weeks of school in September because teachers are quarantining?

If their is a quarantine period that causes you to be unable to do your job for 2 weeks then you should not be going abroad knowing this will happen.

However I think their is unlikely to be one in August.

While the headteacher can’t dictate how you spend your holidays, they can state that you need to be back in work in September when your holidays finish. You can’t choose to spend your holidays in a way that means you have to extend your holidays by 2 weeks. It’s different if you are away and then quarantine is introduced, you could not foresee that.

Quarantine is being reviewed every 3 weeks OP, so 29th June.

This has happened to us too 👎 my husband (not a teacher though) isn't able to get 3 weeks off, one week for the trip and two for the quarantine afterwards, ours is early August, so we are just waiting and seeing for now as advice is changing so quickly, so I don't want to jump the gun and cancel if I don't have to.

There is a list of people exempt from the quarantine, not sure if you'll be on it OP but it's worth a look 🤞 you get your trip

i would saymost of europe will be lifted by then-hang on for a while

The OP could not have foreseen Covid-19 or quarantine when she booked the holiday.

She couldn't have foreseen them and it's an issue that she needs to sort out with the headteacher.......but I absolutely wouldn't agree with a teacher flying back through a non quarantine country as a loophole to avoid quarantine and then heading to the classroom as normal as some are suggesting!

I know it's too late to tell you not to panic but I expect that if quarantining is required in September, schools will adapt. After all, there may well be lots of pupils who also need to quarantine so perhaps schools will find themselves looking at remote teaching/learning of some sort in order to hit the ground running in September.

I had a similar email from my headteacher but the holiday we booked 18 months ago for 18th August is in the UK.

I work in a school too so I know how hard everyone in schools has been working since March with schools still open in the holidays. You booked this holiday way before covid-19 so you should definitely still go. Who knows what quarantine rules will be in aug/sept. Everything is changing so much every week. Please dont cancel you deserve this holiday. School can work around you if need be, just like they would have to if you were ill.

Check your insurance! I checked ours last night, and it actually states that we'd be covered if we couldn't go because of the quarantine rules coming back.. quite impressed with that..good luck whatever happens!

So all those saying she OP should go - you happy for your kids to miss another 2 weeks of school in September because teachers are quarantining?

Supply teachers still exist - they won't close the whole school because one or two members of staff have to stay off after a holiday! What do you think they'd do if someone went off sick?

OP that's really crap for you. I am guessing things will change again before August. My dh works in a school and he cant ever go on holiday in the last two weeks of August. It sucks.

I would be hopeful quarantine will be lifted by then and you can go on your holiday.

I can't imagine your union would be willing to defend teachers flying abroad to quarantine countries while the union position is that returning to school is so very dangerous for teachers that children should be denied an education while teachers still get paid.

To be frank, your holidays are your holidays. If your school starts back in September 1st, that's when you start back. Teachers have plenty of holidays as it is and very few bosses would allow their employees to miss their start back date to go on holiday.

Wonder if you’d think that if you stood to lose hundreds of pounds when your holiday had been booked for months and before any mention of Coronavirus. I’d be looking into this OP. Get the union involved.

*Get the union involved.&

It will be incredibly amusing if the teaching unions try to have it both ways on this.

"Our members must be free to fly around the world in germ tubes but school must be part time forever because children are disgusting."

@Nihiloxica

*Get the union involved.&

It will be incredibly amusing if the teaching unions try to have it both ways on this.

"Our members must be free to fly around the world in germ tubes but school must be part time forever because children are disgusting."

That is not what the teaching unions said, but I doubt that suits your motives for bringing your view of teaching unions on to this thread and diverting it to suit a particular agenda.

Ah well, what's the loss of only one person who used to respect your picket line?

I'm sure I'm alone in my views.