Would you take 5 year old out of school?

[Savador]

family are saying I am being unreasonable because I will not take DD out of school for a family holiday, I don’t want a fine and education is important to me. Please tell me I’m not the only one who feels this way?

I’ve taught reception, year 1 and year 2. Contrary to popular belief children of that age miss masses if they are not in school. Phonics is a new sound a day, that’s a big chunk of learning missed and it does impact.

Hell yes.

You will get a fine if it 5 days or more. It’s still cheaper than going in school holidays. We tend to go in school holidays but sometimes tag on a day or so. My kids have learnt more from their trips than in the last few days of school

I think it’s wrong that they are in full time education so early anyway, so I had no problem taking them out of school at 5.

It depends on the trip. I wouldn't take them out for a general holiday. For a once in a lifetime, time sensitive type thing (e.g. wedding in a far flung place we wouldn't get to go to otherwise), I would consider it.

YANBU. My DS is 5 and has just finished reception. I don't hesitate to keep him off school if he is unwell (I kept him off for several days when he had covid and I didn't want him to infect others). I am also fine with the odd day off for an important occasion. But I would not take him out of school for a holiday. My main reason is that there are enough school holidays as it is, 6 weeks in the summer is plenty of time to fit in a holiday, and DH and I don't have unlimited annual leave to take holiday during term time as well as covering childcare in the holidays (holiday clubs can be tricky for various reasons). Also, it suits DS to have a routine, and he can be really hard work during the school holidays when he's out of routine (this might not be true of all children but I'm sure it is true of some). Lastly, as the teachers on this thread have pointed out, he would miss out on a lot of learning if we took him out for a whole week.

We are lucky in that we can afford a holiday during the school holidays - if we couldn't afford it, I can see how it would be tempting to go in term time, but all the reasons against it would still exist. I think I'd try to find something cheap to do in the school holidays.

I took mine out of the village primary virtually every year. The headmistress used to laugh and say it might give the other kids a chance to catch up!
DD had a reading age of 12 in reception and used to correct her teacher’s spelling. She was teaching herself high school maths at primary, using textbooks sent down by the comprehensive in the nearest town.
Missing a fortnight each year didn’t stop her getting 5 straight As in her Advanced Highers (Scotland) and a maths degree from Durham uni.
And the holidays were educational too - I took her to the neolithic site at Skara Brae, the ruins of Carthage, mediaeval chateaux in the Dordogne, the Minoan palace at Knossos, Hadrian’s wall, etc.
Unless your DC are struggling to keep up at primary, OP, the learning experience of a holiday, trying foreign languages, food, having new experiences, far outweighs anything they miss.

@Silverfinch

Does it make you feel like a better person for correcting the teacher's grammar?

Op, I would absolutely take your daughter out for a holiday.

However, if she is 5 now she is likely to be moving into year 1? If this is the case I would avoid June with the phonic screening. It's a real pain for the teachers if a child is off during the build up weeks and also the week of the screening.

Have a lovely holiday.

Missing a week education would not impact my decision a week off they won't notice.
I prefer to not use up my annual leave during school time. Childcare arranged around school so I prefer to keep my days and use when children are on school holidays as I have different childcare then and do not pay for missed weeks.

When my ds was in year 1 chicken pox went round the class slowly.. i think for about 2 months there was at least one child off with chicken pox..

I sure they managed.

Yes i would in primary not in high-school.

We took DS out of school for a week in term time every year in Primary School - albeit before this ridiculous fine system was imposed. We've just been to his Masters graduation so I don't think he suffered too much.

But we had a specific reason why we needed to do this - it wasn't just to avoid higher holiday prices. So I would say it very much depends on why you want/need to go away in term time.

100% do it! We never get those precious moments back when they are young

i always pulled my kids out the last 3-7 days before the end of an Easter or summer term so that we could have a special holiday abroad. They now have wonderful memories of Greece, Portugal, Dubai, Paris, the French Alps, Italy and more. I list the countries simply to show the experiences they have had which have replaced the last week of term at school, which predominantly is usually a week of the school wrapping up for the year, movie days etc. Nothing can replace those experiences and moments of being together as a family.

Fines are per parent, per week. So if it's 2 weeks it could be £240. Our council frequently issue them.

Personally I think it's giving a bad example to your child. That the rules are ok to break because you want to. Of course if it's to visit a dying relative then that's different. Because it's cheaper in term time - I didn't and that was when it was allowed.

I don't as I find it hard enough to fill all the actual time off, without adding more.
I might consider It for the very last week, but dc have always wanted to go in for all the fun stuff that's planned.
I'd worry as well that if they then had a week of here and there with covid / chickenpox / whatever they'd suddenly have missed 3 weeks.

👏👏😂😂

Teacher too...absolutely take them out!

I'd do it. Just ask what they are going to be teaching while she is out, and teach her it yourself.

DS1, when I asked him about whether his classmates in Y4 go on term time holidays cheerfully said ‘yes, some do, and then they whine because they’ve missed stuff and don’t understand the topic’…

Any child that isn’t studying for exams, I would take out of school.

In reception yes

That said I would be aware that it is potentially going to change

consult.education.gov.uk/school-attendance-policy-and-strategy-team/school-registers-and-national-thresholds-for-legal/consultation/intro/

www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/dfe-new-rules-pupil-school-absence-parent-fines

Some Councils are (Hampshire in particular) are if you have been fined once going straight for prosecution and huge fines

I agree with you, holidays are no more expensive if you spend a bit of time looking for one. No excuse in my eyes.

Oh god I'd go, just make sure you read to her lots, practice her letter sounds/listen to her read, do some fun games involving maths all as a general thing (not just on holiday). The odd week off here and there will make no difference but consistently reinforcing what they are learning in school, getting them engaged in education, taking an interest and supporting them, stretching and inspiring them at home/on days out, practicing the skills they need - especially reading!! will make all the difference.

We will be taking out of school for holidays. I will be asking what she has missed and will cover that ourselves. There is certainly much more to education than being in a classroom

I think as well they may be removed the 10 sessions for holiday - possibly even down to a day or 2.

Parents have across the board complained about it and said they dont like it = it is still going ahead. Fines can happen if you are late for more than 10 sessions as well alongside the Schools Bill going through a lot of change is about to happen.

And not in a good way

The issue I have with it is that if you work you then have more of a problem trying to cover the other 13 or 14 weeks of the year when they are off school as you will have used a good chunk of your annual leave when they normally be at school