To ask DD teacher for holiday permission after rejection?

[iHW]

Would I be unreasonable to ask DD's teacher how much of an impact it would have if I were to take her on holiday that has been rejected by the head?

DD is 5 almost 6, in year 1. Doing well in all subjects and ahead in some subjects. Has had 1 week off in Feb for strep A other than that perfect attendance.

Would it be worth asking her teacher directly if he feels it would have a negative impact on her and reduce the length of the holiday (camping with family) or take her for the week as planned?

Just do it. School can't approve holiday but they can't stop you going. If there's a fine I'd push it back on them and ask why the days striking do not damage your dc education but holiday experiences do.

I just say "x will not be in and will be back on y date". I don't lie but I dont say that it's a holiday.

One week is not going to have a negative impact so why waste the teachers time asking.

🙄Strikes are about protecting education for this generation and future ones not about damaging it.

I know no teacher who wants to strike. They are doing it because they know it’s vital.

They can't authorise it. I just tell them we are going.

If you don't want a fine, reduce the amount of your holiday by a day.

But all the teacher will say if you speak to them is "Yes, your DD will miss out on some learning". You realise that yourself anyway, so what's the point of asking?

Missing 4 or 5 days in Year 1 (even in addition to previous absence) is not going to make much difference in the long run. Just decide for yourself depending on your own situation.

😆

The strikes are about teachers seeing what's happening in education and resorting to losing pay and teaching time to try and get the government to listen. They can only strike about pay as they're not allowed to strike over the appalling lack of funding and support for education under the current administration.

Strikes are nothing to do with unauthorised absence for holidays. Teachers don't want to strike, but feel they have to in the best interest of all pupils. Yes, short term we understand it's disruption, but strikes are supposed to disrupt and are a last resort from a profession desperately seeking change.

Nutcase

Don’t ask the teacher. Like others have said, you’re just putting them in a difficult position. Also don’t ask them for the work your dd will be missing while off.

Just go and enjoy it.

Don’t put the teacher in this position. Take responsibility for your own choices.

First, no. If the teacher even discusses this with you they shouldn't countermand the HT.

Second, to the poster upthread you don't even know if this teacher did strike. And you are being a GF to boot. Plus I bet you wouldn't actually dare challenge a teacher directly on striking, it's always brave to gob off from your keyboard.

This. The head has to unauthorise it by law, I was told by dds school the only authorised holidays are where a parent gets married or if it's a trip catering for additional needs that isn't running in non-term time. It doesn't mean u can't go just means u risk a fine and that's up to u to decide if its financially viable.

i reckon just go on the holiday- your kid is so young!
Don’t go bothering the teacher- what is he/ she supposed to say?
Just call the absence line or whatever, and enjoy your holiday!

Gosh sorry all I didn't mean for the teacher to authorise or go above the head, just literally if they thought it would have a negative impact. I would hate for a 'non essential' holiday to interfere with education. I can shorten it if needs be but I can see all points and would hate to put the teacher in an awkward position so I'll refrain from asking. Thanks all!

I don't have kids and, admittedly, it's a little while since I've been a child myself, but I'm pretty sure the protocol used to be "DD has {insert something very infectious but not serious in the long term} and will be off for the rest of the week. Thank you for understanding."

Imo zero impact. I wouldn't ask the teacher, just put them in super awkward situation

Pointless asking the teacher. Just take her and enjoy your holiday.

It's not going to impact her future life chances! Either make your own peace with that and take responsibility for you choice. Or, don't. Your choice, the teachers view is irrelevant

Just take her and pay the fine. If you don’t want to pay the fine, keep her in school.

This. It's not the teacher's decision.

And then the child comes back and tells everyone about their holiday. It never works. Go or don't go, I don't suppose the teacher cares one way or the other, but tell the truth.

I'm a primary teacher. We have zero influence on holidays. I would appreciate you telling me as a heads up in case there was anything important coming up but there eoukdnt be any piint in me talking to the head about it. Heads generally won't authorise any holidays - they get slapped wrists from the LA if they do.

Surely there’s almost certainly going to be a negative educational impact if a child’s absent from school for a week?

The question here is whether you feel the benefit of the holiday outweighs that.

I'm not suggesting for one second that the teacher would believe you. Even a freshly qualified, unbelievably naive teacher will notice that an unusual number of children are off sick for a few days before and after half term, or that bouts of conjunctivitis sometimes result in children coming back newly tanned.

But unless your child is regularly missing large amounts of school, I can't see that the teacher would care too much. I'm sure in most cases, you could just be upfront with the teacher and tell them the truth, but it potentially puts them in a bit of an awkward position.

Don’t shorten the holiday. Get an exercise book and put in daily learning activities like leaf rubbings. You may be fined but you can show that learning has still taken place.