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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Missing first week of new term after holiday quarantine?

29 replies

DaisyCrazyLazy · 31/07/2020 18:12

We've got France booked Tues 25th Aug for a week. Due back the following Tues. Obviously at the moment, you can still go to France and come home without having to quarantine, but things look like they're changing rapidly. If that happened, the 2 week quarantine would overlap with the kids first week back at school. WIBU to still go and take the risk... and keep them off school that first week, when they're unlikely to be learning much new anyway?

OP posts:
tulippa · 31/07/2020 18:19

We're in a very similar position to you and are due to get back from a European high on 28th August. Going to make a decision next week about transferring it to next year as we won't want the DCs to miss their first week of school if we have to quarantine.
While children may not do loads academically in the first week, they'll do a lot of settling in stuff. It'll be horrible for them to start a week later than everyone else who knows where to sit, where books are kept etc and they don't. Also it's DS's first year at secondary school. Even so the first week of school is really important for all children.
I think YABU sorry.

tulippa · 31/07/2020 18:20

Holiday not high. Confused

worriedandannoyed · 31/07/2020 18:21

Yes I'm in exactly the same position. Flights booked to France to come back 28th August, daughter starts secondary on the 1st so we're not going just in case. A holiday isn't worth them missing that first important week

modgepodge · 31/07/2020 18:21

I think you’re unreasonable to assume they won’t learn anything for the first week!! I’m a teacher and I’m straight in with lessons on day 1 - maybe a PSHE/Setting out ground rules/routines etc (which is learning), chat about the holidays, then on to some lessons. English and maths every day. It’s not like the last week of term which is admittedly less focused. I’d imagine this year more than ever teachers will be keen to assess where kids are and get cracking.

That said, I wouldn’t cancel your holiday on the off chance you’d have to isolate, and I’d you are required to isolate of course your children shouldn’t go to school.

modgepodge · 31/07/2020 18:23

Oh, if it’s first week in a brand new school I probably would think twice. But if it’s the same school as last year I’d probably take the risk.

RandomTree · 31/07/2020 18:25

If there's no quarantine at the time you're due to leave, I'd take the risk and go. But if a quarantine was actually in place on your departure date then I probably wouldn't. I don't think missing the first week of term is ideal.

cariadlet · 31/07/2020 18:28

It's not an ideal time to miss school. As a teacher, I'd say that the week before Christmas and the week before the summer holidays are the only times when not a lot of learning is going on.

SlipperSwan · 31/07/2020 18:28

In these circumstances with some children having been off school for months, teachers will be going straight in with lessons and some of the most important things in the first week.

GetUpAgain · 31/07/2020 18:28

My DC do best when they are early for things and right at the start of things opening etc. So missing first week of new school year would be stressful for them personally. But if your DC are more resilient than mine, I don't think it matters too much. Who even knows if the school will open anyway...

Wolfiefan · 31/07/2020 18:30

How old are they?

EmmaStone · 31/07/2020 18:32

Similar position (except no option to change holiday dates). If quarantine comes in before we travel, then FCO advice will also change and we wouldn't be insured if we travelled (but should be able to reclaim on our insurance if we don't travel). If quarantine comes in while we're there, sobeit, we will have travelled in good faith.

hellywelly3 · 31/07/2020 18:33

The first week of school especially high school is going to be so important this year. I would definitely change the holiday

Pinkflipflop85 · 31/07/2020 18:34

Yabvu for saying they wont be learning much in the first week of a new term!

amylou8 · 31/07/2020 18:34

If quarantine isn't in place when you leave, and it isn't a new school I'd definitely risk it. This could very well go on for years, we need to get on with life.

mornington222 · 31/07/2020 18:34

I don't think you should go if it is in place when you leave.

Remember a lot of the Conservative Party like holidays in France, so I can see it being well down the list to have quarantine applied.

my2bundles · 31/07/2020 18:35

I carnt think of a worst time to miss school. They will be going into new bubbles. Getting used to new systems in school. Getting in to new routines due to new guidelines. Learning the new school rules and expectations. Start of assessments to see where the gaps are. I could go on but frankly you would be doing your kids a real disservice.

Danglingmod · 31/07/2020 18:35

Won't they miss two weeks of school? That's quite a lot of the beginning of term and especially if a change of school.

I wouldn't go but then I wouldn't go on holiday at all at the moment.

my2bundles · 31/07/2020 18:38

To add at my chids high school every year is having a 2 day induction to learn/get used the the new systems etc. Not just the new students. This year the first few days is important for every child in every yearoom.

Aragog · 31/07/2020 18:39

Our school (infants) will be starting on the recovery curriculum in week 1 but the first week of this is dedicated mainly to mental health and wellbeing having seen it briefly.

Our school has already told parents they won't be fined for missing the time due to quarantine so long as it was booked either pre Covid (or when quarantine wasn't in place)

crimsonlake · 31/07/2020 18:42

I know you are not to blame, but your children have missed months of school and you're are now contemplating keeping them off for another week when it could be avoided.

ArchbishopOfBanterbury · 31/07/2020 18:46

As Random Tree said

If there's no quarantine at the time you're due to leave, I'd take the risk and go. But if a quarantine was actually in place on your departure date then I probably wouldn't. I don't think missing the first week of term is ideal.

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 31/07/2020 18:49

The first week back at school is ALWAYS a very busy and important week. This applies even more for September when children will have been away for six months. Friendship groups need to reconnect, teachers need to get to know the class, new routines will need to be discussed, especially in the current and continuing circumstances.

YABU and selfish to make spurious excuses to justify your children missing out on their education. France will still be there.

TheWayOfTheWorld · 31/07/2020 18:50

We are due to get back from France on the 22nd and if a 14 day quarantine applied my DC would miss the first 3 days of school. They are fine with that and so am I.

TheWayOfTheWorld · 31/07/2020 18:50

Correction - first 2 days of school.

ineedaholidaynow · 31/07/2020 18:57

They will be missing so much more this term. School will not look the same, there will be many new rules to learn. Many schools will be doing assessments quite soon, once the children are settled in to see what sort of catching up they will need to do and for which students

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