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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

If you’ve took your kids out of school for holiday….

13 replies

Nostrings457 · 11/03/2022 12:27

I have 3 DC; have never taken them out of school to go on holiday. They are all primary school.

If they miss the last 2 days of summer term it would tie in with the weekend so we could go 4 days earlier and it is hugely cheaper.

I’m not concerned about missing out on education, all they do on those days is play games, Watch videos, have a party etc…

Do I ask school for permission?
Do I phone in sick saying they have a tummy bug?
How does the fine process work?

OP posts:

DobbyHP · 11/03/2022 12:29

I dont think you receive a fine unless it's over 5 consecutive days of missed absence.

DobbyHP · 11/03/2022 12:29

It may be different depending on local authorities etc

Hospedia · 11/03/2022 12:36

You won't necessarily be fined if their attendance is otherwise good, in my area you only get referred to the LA if overall attendance is below 92% and even then they won't always issue a fine if there are mitigating circumstances, DS was once down to 80% due to illness and we didn't get fined.

Be honest with the school, dint get your DC to lie, explain why you're going on these dates. The school will either authorise it or not authorise it, either way you can still go.

FWIW, I've taken the DC on holiday in term time several times as DH is restricted on when he can take leave - sometimes it means our only opportunity for a family holiday is to go in term time. I'm always up front with the school about it and it's usually approved except for one year when the previous headteacher decided that I could just take the DC away by myself in the school holidays instead. I still took them in term time when DH was on leave, just unauthorised, and wasn't fined.

TeenPlusCat · 11/03/2022 12:37

Yes you ask for permission (and expect it to be denied)
No you do not say they are ill (it is really disrespectful to expect the staff to be so stupid as to fall for your lie)
Just go unauthorised - you aren't going to be fined for 2 days (highly highly unlikely anyway)

Iamblossom · 11/03/2022 12:39

In my son's school there was a request form online which I completed out of courtesy, informing them, not asking permission. It was returned to me marked unauthorised, which I was fully expecting and no more came of it. In fact the teachers asked me how the snow was when I dialled into the virtual parents evening whilst on the holiday with my son.

Original poster

Nostrings457 · 11/03/2022 12:42

Okay - when I said lie I meant me lie. I would tell the DC we were going in school holidays then surprise them with an early departure. I wouldn’t ask them lie (or even trust that they could keep a secret )

Thanks - will let school know in advance and go from there

OP posts:

Quartz2208 · 11/03/2022 12:43

@TeenPlusCat

Yes you ask for permission (and expect it to be denied) No you do not say they are ill (it is really disrespectful to expect the staff to be so stupid as to fall for your lie) Just go unauthorised - you aren't going to be fined for 2 days (highly highly unlikely anyway)

This.

Dont lie - it means that in effect your children cant talk about the holiday at all with their friends and teaches them that lies can get out of their responsibilites.

2 days at that point will be unauthorised but in effect that is just a code the school will input. If their attendance is good around that it wont be a problem and they wont miss much

Fine process usually kicks in after 10 missed registrations (in effect 5 days) so I dont expect the 2 days will get a fine.

Plus the % will end after those two days and go back

So simply inform the school that is what you are doing and enjoy. You wont be the only one

Starlight86 · 11/03/2022 12:48

We have.

We are in scotland so fines arent a thing.

I dont actively do it nor have we seeked out holidays outwith the school holidays but alternatively i will not be held by holiday price increases when we could go a week earlier or extend our holiday by a week.

It maybe happened twice. and it will happen again if i want it to.

Starlight86 · 11/03/2022 12:50

Also when it comes to my children i ask no-one permission to do anything.
They are my children and i decide.

Stompythedinosaur · 11/03/2022 12:52

I'd inform the school. You are very unlikely to be fined. But I wouldn't want to put the dc in the position of being involved in a lie, it is too confusing for them.

We took our dc out for a week once (for an unusual trio away that couldn't happen at another time). I emailed the school admin person to say we were planning to take them out and did they need me to fill in a form - they sent home an absence form which I completed and was returned with "unauthorised" on it, but the school knew not to expect the dc in school.

TeenPlusCat · 11/03/2022 12:56

Especially at the end of term you need to give the teachers a chance to send home all their stuff - books, artwork, whatever. If you just go 'sick' things are likely to get binned / lost.

nearlyspringyay · 11/03/2022 13:49

I'd just tell the school. The kids will tell them
Anyway. It'll be unauthorised, so what?

Mummyingit · 11/03/2022 14:58

I am 39 and starting to feel a bit better than from 30 to 38, my youngest is 5 and eldest 9, and just starting to get a bit more time to myself and uninterrupted sleep most nights. I have lost some weight recently so that helps too.

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