To take DS out of school for two weeks for holidays?

[DimplesEverywhere]

When Covid settles down and we can get into Florida without too much hassle. Hopefully later this year or early next year. We haven’t gone away for the last two years so have been waiting to do a big holiday.

He is starting secondary school in September but he’s well above average in all subjects so I don’t think it’ll impact him that much.

I’d also rather go on hols outside of school hols, as it’s less busy now, that DS is the only DC we’ll potentially get fined for (other DC out of school). It’ll be cheaper so we’ll save more than the £120 anyway!

Thinking of doing it every year from now actually.

Would it BU?

@FakeFruitShoot

Not everyone has the luxury of being able to afford to go away in the school holidays.

That old fucking chestnut.

That is a spectacularly rude reply to something that everybody knows is factually true; that the prices of holidays skyrocket the day half term hits.

As long as it is not at the beginning of a school year, why not? If your son is agreeable of course, he may not want to miss school.

We are taking our kids out for 4 days next May, directly before half term (if the holiday goes ahead). I think 2 weeks is a bit much though, could you do it Oct half term, plus the week after. Then he'd only miss a week. The first year of high school is important for settling in. It's a big step.

[quote plodalong12]@DimplesEverywhere

We took DD to Florida when she was 6 in a November one year, in the olden days when you sent in note in telling them and the teacher just wished you a good holiday, and it was bliss. Not too hot, no queues at Disneyland, pool empty

I would genuinely like to know when this changed because like I said, it was such a normal occurrence for anyone over i’d say mid to late 20’s to remember happening, even if they themselves didn’t go on holiday there were children that did and it happened with such regularity that it wasn’t rare when a child was off school for that reason. Now it seems to be completely taboo. [/quote]
The truancy thing came in. In the 1990’s. I’m 42 and I remember my mum being told about keeping me off

However. The fines came in only a little while ago. Maybe 10 years

The biggest Problem was that man who took his kids to the Disney. From the Isle of Wight. Who took the schools to court

When he took it to the high court. The court then had to define time off. Which meant they then defined at as 100%. That made it a lot worse.

@plodalong12

Read my whole post before you tear my response apart.

Anyone who can afford Florida, school holidays or no, is not on their uppers.

Another teacher here who would say I’d do it. I’d worry more about social impact than academic, but if he’s confident with a strong friendship base and is fine with his work I’d do it.

🙄

Your going to get 2 schools of thought here

The yeah go have a nice time from people who don't care about their kids missing school especially secondary

Or no I wouldn't go

Personally I think schools should hunks up the fines so parents dont do it haven't children missed enough already without taking them out?

School is 39 weeks a year that gives plenty of time for holidays

[quote FakeFruitShoot]@plodalong12

Read my whole post before you tear my response apart.

Anyone who can afford Florida, school holidays or no, is not on their uppers.[/quote]
Which part? This part?

I also dislike the... ableism?... of the attitude that a child doing well can break the rules on attendance on a whim but a less academic child shouldn't. …Rather familiar to the attitude thinking rich families should only holiday in Europe instead of Florida because poorer families can’t afford it.

YABU. Two weeks is a lot. I teach Science and our KS3 pupils have 4 lessons a week, so your son could miss 8 lessons. That could well be a whole topic missed. The way the curriculum is sequenced means that knowledge will be built upon later but if you don't have the foundations, you'll struggle.

If you do decide to do it, which it sounds like you will, please don't ask the school to set extra work - it isn't fair on the teachers.

You have to wonder why you had 4 DC if you don’t like going on holiday in school holidays

At any time a child could catch the flu or another illness and be off school for two weeks. They would still have to make up the work so what the hell!

@StoneofDestiny

He'll miss out 5/6 hours of schooling a day - so you will get him to do this in your holiday resort while you supervise him? Some holiday! Can't imagine any sensible parent doesn't think enough schooling has been lost already.

Oh but apparently an hour or so of online learning was absolutely adequate a few months ago so which is it?

@ineedaholidaynow

You have to wonder why you had 4 DC if you don’t like going on holiday in school holidays

Your bias is clearly showing.

He is starting secondary school in September but he’s well above average in all subjects so I don’t think it’ll impact him that much.

Grade are irrelevant here. Transitioning to secondary school is massive and they’ve had so much disruption with covid that they need some normality. I’d say the first half of year 7 is about finding those social groups and learning the rules of secondary. 2 weeks is a long time to be away for. He is not going to be in a class of his old friends all the time.
It sounds like this is all about you and not what your son wants.

I think two weeks is a long time to take any child out of school but I definitely wouldn’t be doing it in the first half of year 7.
If you can’t afford it why not go on a cheaper holiday and save up a bit more and go Florida in a couple of years time instead.

Plodalong, you are clearly wilfully misunderstanding me.

I do think the OP's post drips with entitlement and I do think it's pretty disgusting that OP thinks her family "deserve" a holiday in Florida so much the the teachers, rest of the class and her child have to deal with the arsing about, yes.

It literally affects no one else if the child goes on holiday! What a bonkers statement!

I would, however… Disney is always packed. We went in October last time, usually went in the school hols, just as busy , but weather so much better than the summer

I understand why some parents feel that they have, almost, a right to do this , however, to do this in the first two weeks of Secondary is a very bad idea.
It doesn't matter that your child is a high achiever, they will have missed those early bonding moments, friendship groups will be forming and they will feel a bit lost and feel like they've missed out on something.

Yes, they'll get far more out of a fortnight in Florida but those first two weeks at Secondary are so very important.

@FakeFruitShoot

Plodalong, you are clearly wilfully misunderstanding me.

I do think the OP's post drips with entitlement and I do think it's pretty disgusting that OP thinks her family "deserve" a holiday in Florida so much the the teachers, rest of the class and her child have to deal with the arsing about, yes.

I’m not sure I agree that I misunderstood your post at all actually. You said that families that can afford to pay for a trip to Florida should instead go on holiday to Europe in the school holidays. Displaying some of the same “ableism”, or perhaps prejudice, which you claimed to dislike, towards people who can afford that sort of holiday over people who can’t.

Over the course of years 7-11 that totals 10 weeks, or nearly an entire long term.

You say in your opening post that you're thinking of doing it every year.
Are you going to tell the school, or just inform them before each holiday?

You've decided to do it so why bother posting?

@lavenderandwisteria if a child struggles to catch up on the work missed then it might impact the teacher having to try and catch them up, and if every parent did this, they would have very disrupted teaching

@lavenderandwisteria I'm not sure that's true. Every second of time the teacher spends catching up absentees, or setting additional work, plus messing with the dynamics of seating plans, group work, rolling rotas for tasks, does impact others. I'm not going to labour the point but taking a holiday purely through choice in term-time is disrespectful. I will not do it for my kids.

However, OP is going to do what they want anyway so just go and have a lovely time (genuinely!)