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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask school to authorise absence for center parcs

178 replies

needabreak5 · 06/05/2021 15:01

We have booked the CP village near my parents (300 miles from us), for next month. Friday to Monday, term time so two days off school. It was originally booked for last year, before DS started school, cancelled due covid, rebooked for Christmas (then cancelled), re-booked for easter (cancelled). On this fourth re-book the only available dates were during term-time DC haven't seen grandparents for 10 months - we are desperate for a mini holiday after so many disappointments and cancellations. If you were the head would you allow the absence?

OP posts:
Forgothowmuchlhatehomeschoolin · 06/05/2021 16:02

The school literally won't care - it is 2 days not 2 weeks. Don't overthink it OP x

FoxyTheFox · 06/05/2021 16:02

We're having a term time holiday next month and my DC schools - four separate schools - have all authorised their holidays. I was upfront with them in my application, said that the holiday had been cancelled three times last year due to covid and now thanks to increased demand for UK holidays we had very limited choice for dates, the only dates available for this year are term time only and after the last 12+ months we need a bloody holiday (worded it more formally than that!). Letters came back from all four settings stating authorised and the reason given was "exceptional circumstances related to covid".

Try for it, OP. Put your request in, be honest about why you're going in term time, explain that it's a one off due to covid, and see what they say. The worst they can do is say it'll be unauthorised but if his attendance is otherwise good then you're very unlikely to be fined.

JoshLymanIsHotterThanSam · 06/05/2021 16:03

Some uninformed people on here. Heads CAN authorise holidays…how do I know? Because my then year 7 son got 2 weeks authorised by his head in 2019. She said it was easier to help the kids catch up if she authorised it as the teachers could set him so work to do.

Don’t ring them in sock op-I did that for a single day….to go to alton towers, next day teacher asked how alton towers was with a wry smile Grin apparently one child had let slip and they had a good gossip about it in the staff room.

Birmingham don’t fine until more than 10 days have been taken unauthorised. It is LA based and each one will have their own rules, having said that it’s unlikely you’ll get fined for 2 days off for a reception aged child.

ElinoristhenewEnid · 06/05/2021 16:03

I understood it was per parent and per child.
So if 2 children and 2 parents = total of £240 - this includes separated parents so if mum took child away, dad gets fined as well.
BUT only kicks in after 5 school days.

My friends when faced with similar situation sent child to school on Friday and travelled up after school and then returned on the Monday morning in time for school - Center Parcs was only 40 miles away for them.

FedNlanders · 06/05/2021 16:05

Ours is never authorised but we still go!

onemouseplace · 06/05/2021 16:06

Some schools will refer you to the LA for fines for 2 days, some won't. You can't tell until you apply.

Our school was really lenient for years, then cracked down the year before covid hit because of people constantly taking the piss (usually the same people always taking a day or two either side of a holiday).

CafeMochaVodkaValiumLate · 06/05/2021 16:06

I did exactly this, they said no but we went anyway.

motherloaded · 06/05/2021 16:06

@ElinoristhenewEnid

I understood it was per parent and per child. So if 2 children and 2 parents = total of £240 - this includes separated parents so if mum took child away, dad gets fined as well. BUT only kicks in after 5 school days.

My friends when faced with similar situation sent child to school on Friday and travelled up after school and then returned on the Monday morning in time for school - Center Parcs was only 40 miles away for them.

but isn't it PER DAY? (or could be per day in theory??
Rillington · 06/05/2021 16:07

You have 13 weeks a year to take them on holiday. The school won't authorise a term time holiday.

FedNlanders · 06/05/2021 16:07

Our fine, for 2 children has ALWAYS been 60 per child. So always always 120 no matter if we go for 1 or 2 weeks.

HartstonesMustard · 06/05/2021 16:08

Several things, one this was a booked holiday that has been moved and CP only has availability during term time, so beyond your control really.

Two, he sounds like he has just turned 5 making him below compulsory school age, which is the term after they turn 5, probably September.

Head teachers usually cannot authorise any holiday as a standard policy. It goes down as unauthorised in the system. No one really cares unless you are doing this on a regular basis.

The council are the ones who decide if there is a fine to pay. Where we are 4 1/2 days is you walk away free, 5 days and you get fined as a fixed £60 per child per parent.

All these things means you will most likely not be fined, under CSA and just 2 days.

Don't go with the mindset of its educational for any holiday, just inform the school your child will be absent on these dates. The ones they worry about are the ones who miss a day here, a day there which starts to mount up. Nothing to do with holidays. My sons' primary say officially we cannot authorise it and yes your child should be in school, unofficially they say have a great time.

Faithless12 · 06/05/2021 16:08

You can be fined for only 2 days off. I was for 1 day. It was the only day DS had off that year.

@JoshLymanIsHotterThanSam I’d love to know how you got the head to authorise 2 weeks. Ours refused to authorise 1 day which we needed to get to the country we were going to and meant DS got to see his grandparents. Annoyingly he actually did more work then the kids at school, ex teacher so I made sure we took bits to do on the plane.

cakefanatic · 06/05/2021 16:09

Pretty sure that in year R your child is part of the early years foundation stage and not compulsory school age yet, so whether authorised or not fines are not applicable.

motherloaded · 06/05/2021 16:09

@Rillington

You have 13 weeks a year to take them on holiday. The school won't authorise a term time holiday.
but not this year, I think that's the point... And when people left it too late, a lot of places are now fully booked.
WallpaperLady · 06/05/2021 16:10

@needabreak5

thanks DS is in reception - the absence policy is a bit vague, but appears if its not authorised then DH and I would both be fined so we have to pay double the amount. Does that sound right?
I think you're allowed to take your child out of school the until the term after they turn 5. Not sure if this applies to you.

Your school will have an absence request form, just complete it. The worst they will say is unauthorised but have a nice holiday! It is unlikely you'll be charged for the 2 days.

Please don't say your child is sick though, tempting fate!

WallpaperLady · 06/05/2021 16:13

@HartstonesMustard

Several things, one this was a booked holiday that has been moved and CP only has availability during term time, so beyond your control really.

Two, he sounds like he has just turned 5 making him below compulsory school age, which is the term after they turn 5, probably September.

Head teachers usually cannot authorise any holiday as a standard policy. It goes down as unauthorised in the system. No one really cares unless you are doing this on a regular basis.

The council are the ones who decide if there is a fine to pay. Where we are 4 1/2 days is you walk away free, 5 days and you get fined as a fixed £60 per child per parent.

All these things means you will most likely not be fined, under CSA and just 2 days.

Don't go with the mindset of its educational for any holiday, just inform the school your child will be absent on these dates. The ones they worry about are the ones who miss a day here, a day there which starts to mount up. Nothing to do with holidays. My sons' primary say officially we cannot authorise it and yes your child should be in school, unofficially they say have a great time.

A few years ago I had 3 of 4 days of my holiday authorised although I did send a lengthy support letter explaining the educational benefits of the holiday which could not be experienced here (safari) and the fact we were with family who live on the other side of the world.

If they want to. You can justify the reason as being educational, then they will.

VickyEadieofThigh · 06/05/2021 16:13

@moreofalurker

Don't ask them, go on your holiday have an amazing time. He/she has a tummy ache. Why are people so hateful? She wants a holiday leave her to it.
  1. It's not about "hate", it's that heads are not allowed to authorise such absences.
  2. No parent should lie about their child's absence as this makes the child collude in such a lie.
BelleBlueBell · 06/05/2021 16:14

@CafeMochaVodkaValiumLate

I did exactly this, they said no but we went anyway.
Well of course you went, why wouldn't you?,

You aren't asking permission to go on holiday, you are asking for authorised absence which you know you aren't going to get.

It's been years since these rules came in and still people don't seem to understand that the school can't stop you going on holiday. I don't know what this message hasn't got out there

Go and budget for a fine, local authorities take different views so it's pointless even worrying about what happened to other people who go to different schools and have different circumstances to you. There's no one size fits all approach.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 06/05/2021 16:17

Agree with everyone who is of course saying you don’t need permission if she’s 4.

I wouldn’t think school would authorise as everyone is desperate for a holiday right now! However it’s quite possible (probable even?) that nothing will happen.

Alternatively, bearing in mind you can’t check into your lodge until 4 anyway - and not allowed on site until 2- you could just go straight from school. That’s what I’m doing on a weekend coming up - 2 hour drive from me. We’re leaving Sunday night, but you could then just have the Monday off, so you’re only risking one day.

Sillysop92 · 06/05/2021 16:17

I wouldn’t have thought you’d get a fine for 2 days, so just go, drop them a note the day before you go telling them your plans.

BelleBlueBell · 06/05/2021 16:18

@cakefanatic

Pretty sure that in year R your child is part of the early years foundation stage and not compulsory school age yet, so whether authorised or not fines are not applicable.
That's not quite right although it appears that in this case the child is under CSA

"Your child must start full-time education once they reach compulsory school age. This is on 31 December, 31 March or 31 August following their fifth birthday - whichever comes first. If your child’s fifth birthday is on one of those dates then they reach compulsory school age on that date"

From gov.uk

MidSummersNightmare · 06/05/2021 16:18

We get fined for anything over 2 days here. Our council seem to be less lenient/ more money grabbing than most.

I’m in a similar situation with a reception child. We hoped to go away before school started, then before compulsory school age and now we’ve missed all the opportunities.

MyDcAreMarvel · 06/05/2021 16:19

@needabreak5 DS has just turned 5 this month if that makes a difference.
Yes it does, he is not compulsory school age u til September. You can legally take him out of school whenever you want to.

Talkwhilstyouwalk · 06/05/2021 16:20

If your child is still 4, or turned 5 this term then you can take them out whenever you want. You can't do this from the term after they turn 5.

It won't be authorised, but I'd still do it given the year and a half that we've just had!

MyDcAreMarvel · 06/05/2021 16:22

@Talkwhilstyouwalk there is no such thing as unauthorised absence before CSA.