Taking kids out of school for a term

[Whenthechipshitthefan]

Possibly the wrong place to post- if so sorry!
Has anyone had any success in taking their kids (legally!) out of school for a term or even a half term. I want to take 2 x DDs (Yr 4, Reception) to my mums country for a long stay. They don't know the culture and I'm aware that we are all losing that connection. The flights are expensive, and it takes at least 24hrs to get there. Its a big country so that if we go over I want them to see a lot, experience a lot and see everyone.

Has anyone applied and been successful? Is it just headteacher opinion that matters? What can I promise to keep their place and not get taken to court. Happy to pay a fine!

Kinda the point I was trying to make @StMarieforme

Would it be the end of the world if you came back and didn't get back on to the same school? I work in a school with a lot of EAL children and it's relatively common for a child or 2 each year group to disappear for an extended time. Being Scotland it's al lot more tolerated and although they eventually drop off the school roll if there is no contact it's mostly accepted. Be aware of you have a girl and it's a county that practices FGM then it might trigger an investigation! With you being in England would you be liable for fines? It might be better in your case just to de register!

oh they'll love that. cause disruption, threaten their funding, AND give the teacher extra work to do!

They have absolutely awful educational outcomes, the women often marry young and have no opportunities in life and child protection would be involved more if they didn't move on so often.

Nothing you can do will stop
Them de registering you

Shame you haven't thought to take them
In 8 years.

@AngelusBell

In my experience as a teacher, when a child has had a few weeks off and missed significant chunks of learning, they are then confused, behind and lost when they see where the other children have progressed to. They often require 1:1 support in lessons to help them catch up key learning, meaning other children don't get support.

If the teacher has to spend more time trying to help the children who are behind that will detract from other pupils.
They do have the whole class to consider.

I remember a school being asked by the local priest to take some traveller children - the school really did not want to because it would disrupt everybody else. This was many years ago - it would be even more difficult now because schools are under greater pressure.

Don't know whether OP has realised that as mentioned earlier state schools are now more likely to be oversubscribed due to influx from private schools (don't think this is what OP wants to hear).

If they're Emperor penguins, our summer/their winter is precisely when they lay and incubate their eggs.

There's been some really sensible suggestions and advice so thank you. Just finished the work/summercare/bed run so only just catching up.

Sorry I can't reply to each. But to answer some questions:
Eldest DD was in Reception for covid so I basically taught her Reception year. I'm not worried about younger DD falling behind.

I'm also not concerned about elder DD failing behind as she's well ahead of her peers and I am confident I can teach the maths and English required. My worry is not getting back into school with her friends.

I wouldn't put them in a school as the language barrier would stop any reasonable learning- and it probably would have very little to do with UK learning. But I'm very prepared to do home schooling and I think the language immersion alone would be invaluable.

My family couldn't come here- as people have suggested - it would be many years savings to move this way. Also there are a LOT of them and only 4 of us!

It is interesting to hear the different views and opinions and the differing thoughts on what is allowed. Sadly we're in England not Scotland.

It does sound like I need to start with reading all the guidance, defining why we want to do it, working out what we are prepared to sacrifice and then organise the conversation with the Head. They won't agree but at least I can find out what is legally sound.

Finally- one (or more!) people have exactly guessed our situation. Irritating as it will no doubt be- I'm not going to say who! 🙂

Makes me wonder what standard of school the child attended if parents could get the child miles ahead academically in only an hour a day.

🐧

You can easily get the learning done much quicker at home - child gets 1-2-1 attention. No registration, no assemblies, no lining up, no disruptive children, no taking in turns with other children. School has a value - being with other children, learning to get along, easier to do sports or drama etc and the all important childcare while parents work. But don't delude yourself that it is the most efficient and/or effective way to educate children.

I was a teacher for 27 years and I’m not surprised a school didn’t want to take Traveller children, because I have heard plenty of anti-GRT racism from other teachers in my time. As a child, though, my headteacher welcomed fairground children who would come to our small Church of England primary school for a fortnight every year and they enriched our understanding of a different culture and way of life. No disruption was involved.

I know that plenty of primary schools are under PAN so I don’t think the OP’s children would have a problem getting a primary school place, although they may not be able to return to the same school. The same goes for children from private schools - they might not get the school they want.

I’m so glad to be out of the profession - it’s changed beyond all recognition since 1994.

Take 1 week and the whole of Easter holidays.

I knew it. You are the Penguins of Madagascar trying to get back to the Antarctic and I claim my five pounds!

Yes, it isn't school curriculum, it is life curriculum. Learning at school isn't the only learning.

I know that in the UK school attendance has recently became a new religion, and schools can dictate to families lots of things above and beyond law.
Still, in this case children with family ties to other country have an option to spend some time there - so it won't be just vacation, but real immersion into the culture and lifestyle, and supposedly the family here can continue with learning the language afterwards.
If you can't see how it will be beneficial for them, you must be blind.

Generally, school curriculum is pretty random thing. Every country teaches something different and it doesn't really matter. The main goal is building ability to learn.
Every year many children are out of the school sick or injured for some time and have to catch up. Other have to move. That's life.
I was pondering recommending some tutoring afterwards, to make the catch up smoother, but as the OP said, in this grades parents can do completely fine.

"my headteacher welcomed fairground children who would come to our small Church of England primary school for a fortnight every year and they enriched our understanding of a different culture and way of life."

This is very positive and I'm glad it worked out.

The school I remember was a small Catholic school and the head teacher and staff were worried - perhaps because it was a one-off and a bit of an unknown (I was not involved).
Anyway not relevant now - think OP has got some things to think about.

I can understand about being glad to be out of it now!

Their education should be prioritised. That's all there is to it.

Education doesn't happen only in the classroom. This will be practically homeschooling for a few weeks, the OP is confident she can cover it, there really is nothing wrong about that

Prioritising school attendance will teach the children that requirements of institutions are more important than family, even if the requirements in question don't make sense.

I have reported this as hate speech. Perhaps “they” have absolutely awful educational outcomes because of teachers’ attitudes. Please educate yourself.

I really don’t think Traveller kids are the night comparison here. By most standards their formal education is very poor.

She won't get deregistered. Look at the Regulation linked above.

Well, there's a little matter of the law that will stop them deregistering. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/1751/regulation/8

That’s generally because of institutionalised racism and bullying - as a result, their parents are reluctant to send them to school. I know of Traveller parents who have sent their children to private school to avoid them being bullied in state schools. This should not be happening in 2024.

They can offroll due to the length of the unauthorised holiday. It's a specific category for leaving in the census. And distance.