To holiday in Year 6 Term Time?

[ellieboolou]

Eldest going into y6 this September and we've not had a holiday for 4 years, I was thinking of booking 2 weeks in late June to go abroad (after SATS). Also have another child who will be in Y2. Risk the fine by being honest?

My eldest has asd so finds peak holidays times a struggle due to crowds and really busy environments, also it's about £800-£1000 cheaper!

AIBU to book a TT holiday and ask head for authorised leave?

We did an extra week at Oct half term of Y6 instead.

Here you get fined if they miss more than 9 sessions (4.5 days) but it probably depends on your LA's policy.

June does tend to be jam packed with sports day, leavers play rehearsals, transition activities etc, whereas a lot of the lead up to SATs was endless practice papers for my DC, to the point that one of them would recognise them and questioned the value of redoing them. Not sure it was a great use of their time.

I teach Year 6. At the end of June this year our children enjoyed: a residential trip; had a 2 day visit to their new secondary school (children with SEND or anxiety issues had extra visits); 2 lessons with q and a from their secondary maths and English teachers, carried out the bulk of the rehearsals for their production (anyone on holiday got supporting roles only); lots of outdoor PE in preparation for sports day; independent project work and outdoor maths lessons. It is the best time in the year for year 6, when they all noticeably mature (push boundaries too!) and have so much relaxed fun time with their friends.

It won't be authorised, and you will be fined.

It's £60 per parent, per child.

So, assuming you have a DH/P, the fine will be £240. It doubles if you don't pay within 21 days.

Even though SATS are done and it's nearing the end of the year, both children will be missing a lot of learning in those 2 weeks, which could put them at a disadvantage for the next academic year.

I don't think it's missing a bit of school that would be the issue, I think it's when you are thinking of going.
Having had a ds with asd go through yr6 and worked with other neurodiverse children transitioning to secondary, after SATs is so crucial. They do visit days, staff from the secondary come go the primary, primary staff work on skills for secondary/videos of the new setting. I had a meeting with all professionals involved around this time for transition etc....
We are going away this year for the first time in years and Secondary are okay with it, because we only need to request 1 day off, going for October half term, when it's quieter and just taking the day off before so we could get cheaper flights.

@User65412 what do you mean by the LA being unlikely to pursue the find if attendance is otherwise good? The fine has nothing to do with other attendance, my dc normally have100% attendance other than the TT holidays we’ve taken now and again yet we’ve always been fined. If you are issued a fine and you don’t pay you can end up in court.

I’d just be wary of dates like leavers activities/holidays/parties and also the transition days to high school are also going to be June/July. Other than that I don’t see an issue if you can suck up the fines.

Apologies @ShrillSiren22 , that is my experience as a yr6 teacher of 10 years. By attendance I mean whether they've been taken out for a holiday before. Our LA almost never issues the fine on the first 'offence' but does so if the children are taken out for a holiday every year, for example. I suppose all LAs deal with it differently.

Ah, I understand @User65412. Apologies, I thought you meant that any fines issued wouldn’t be enforced.

I think in general a TT holiday is fine, but the transition stuff is important especially if your child has additional needs so the timing might be an issue there.

Earlier in the year maybe, but that time of year in year 6 is generally full of transition and leavers plans that your dc might be sad to miss out on. I know my 2 would have been.

You will not get authorised leave for a holiday. Take them out, accept it will be unauthorised and a fine possible.

Mine have just finished y6 they would have been gutted if i had taken them out post SATS they had so much stuff going on before they left.

Two weeks is too much in any part of term time. I can understand a week although it’s not ideal, but two weeks is taking the piss, especially right next to a half term break. I wouldn’t want my children to miss out on the end of term preparations like practicing for the play and transition and all the fun things that happen at that time of year like the trips and cycling proficiency.

It will entirely depend on whether your school reports you to the LA who issue the fines. Our school now has a zero tolerance policy on term time holidays even if attendance is otherwise excellent.

We took 6 days and we’re just fined £120 per child (£60 for each parent).

Just shop around and the holidays are no more expensive than at other times. If you want a 5 minute deal on Tui then you will get stung for £££ but shop savvy and there is no issue.

The leave won't be authorised and you will be fined (and I'd think 2 children for 2 weeks would be a sizeable amount).

As others have said, your Year 6 child may miss transition activities/residential trip/leavers play etc that normally happens at the end of Year 6. Mine would have been upset to miss these.

Fine is per session (2 sessions per day) per child and per parent so can really add up.

So 2 weeks for 2 children =40 sessions so @£50 fine per session that's a 2k fine per parent. I ďont know if it's £50

y2 have their SATS in June.

...per session where you are though.

As your ds has asd I'd also be wary of missing any settling in sessions at his new school.

They don't.

KS1 SATS are administered throughout May.

In our LA, attendance is hugely down since covid and is an area of focus. I've no doubt anyone taking a 2 weeks holiday in TT would be fined here. The head doesn't have any choice but to report attendance figures and this would show as unauthorised.

But the risk of missing transition activities would be more of a factor for me.

Thank you for all the replies!

Just to clarify a few points, her residential trip is this September so she's going to that.

Transition days in our school are usually in July as is the summer leavers concert.

Dd has very few friends and absolutely can't wait to leave school, she can cycle & swim and is exceeding expectations in maths & English (she does Kumon).

Will discuss with the school about any potential missed transition days as agree, they are very important.

DD's attendance over the years is always above 98% despite her absolute hate for school (hoping secondary will be kinder to her).

Maybe I'll re think and do an extra week on half term in May or do 9/10 nights instead.

Thanks once again all

Oh and dd missed no school during covid as I am key worker (sorry to use that term)! She attended everyday and absolutely thrived due to tiny classes and less people!

@Porcupineintherough Fine is per session (2 sessions per day) per child and per parent so can really add up.

So 2 weeks for 2 children =40 sessions so @£50 fine per session that's a 2k fine per parent. I ďont know if it's £50

why post such nonsense are you confused or just trolling. Fines are a fixed legal amount of £60 per parent per child per holiday the vast majority of the time fines are once 9.5 sessions are missed so 4.5 days . So £240 in this situation!

I think as long as the transition days are confirmed and you know you will be back for them, then I'd go for it. But if you want to go for two weeks, rather than one, then you will just have to factor the fine into your costs.

I don't blame you at all for considering this (and I'm a teacher!) But i do think your DC would miss out on some good stuff if you go then. Lots of fun stuff and transition to high school. It'd be better to tag a week on to Oct or Feb half term if possible. Or go in May as soon as SATs are done. They are always the first full week in May, so the week after the first Bank Holiday Monday.