To think the penalties for term time absence is ridiculous..

[JKbowling]

I got this in my email inbox today, sent to all parents and guardians.

"Failure to safeguard a child's education" appearing on your DBS, really?

As for term time holidays. If a family can't afford to pay for their one measly UK break per year to be had during the 6 weeks holidays (because the prices are hiked right up and become unaffordable) how does school suppose said family is going to pay the fine?

Yes we went away in May last year for £3.7k. I priced the same holiday for August and it was £8k. Utter madness. Let me tell you, two academic salaries (so yes we highly highly value education!) less childcare for two DC do not stretch to £8k for a week in Spain.

That's your choice, plenty of other jobs are available.

No-one expect you, forces those limitations on you and your family.

kids needs to stay in school, go to university, get a good high paying jobs, so they can have family and can afford to go on holiday every year on school holiday

im in favour of university but I don’t agree that you’ve to go to university in order to have a high paying job. In fact you can go to university and end up in a low paying job as well.

I have family in another country because I am from said country. We have had a few things happen, weirdly, all within one school year. Once, illness, which I felt we needed to go home for. Once a family wedding (on Saturday but we needed to be there on the Wednesday for dc to do final fitting as part of bridal party and allow time for alterations. Once a significant birthday of my parent, which was celebrated with a long weekend hotel stay. It was booked with minimising time off school in mind, but due to differences in terms, our dc needed to finish early Thursday and go back in on Wednesday morning.

Each time I spoke to the school and they were very understanding of the circumstances. Despite missing nearly 3 weeks of school in total, we were grand. I think it becomes a problem if the absence is not authorised.

I am also in job which requires a clean sheet. It gives a lot of power to head teachers!

No you misunderstand. Not just aligning it with school holiday, but aligning it with the other family members. We find it incredibly difficult to get me, DH and DS all off work at the same time. I’ve just had a week off with my children and taken them away, without my DH because he couldn’t get the time off.

We saved up for 3 years and still could only afford to go in term time. But I don't think my 5 year old at the time missing a week of school which obviously she has caught up with now is going to effect her university chances. If a 5 year old can't catch up a weeks worth of work over the next 13 years of their education I think that shows bigger issues then a family holiday.

Or you could have gone somewhere locally during the holidays and created just as many memories, albeit different ones. My kids have learned to swim in the uk just fine, know all about morris dancing, can fluently use currency and make change, and know a smattering of Welsh - all by staying locally.

My DC, both in high school missed 4 days of the end of the summer term. Not for the first time either. We flew to Greece and had a fantastic two weeks. They didn't really learn anything as such but the memories we made were ones that wouldn't have happened if we stayed at home. Snorkeling, kayaking, playing cards and eating good food.

That holiday wouldn't have happened for us if I left it later due to cost.

Yes, I value education but 'education' in the last week of the school year is watching films, sports day, wellbeing activities. It does not compare.

If it was fine to provide my DS with 20 science lessons throughout the year without a teacher and just a Google document, then its fine for him to miss watching an hour Bruce Almighty on the whiteboard and a wellbeing workshop.

Thankfully in NI we don't have the same stringent policies or fines. Obviously good attendance is encouraged but there is more flexibility, still manage to outperform rest of uk in exams and a lot of kids have term time holidays.

Does that miraculously disappear on holiday? The washing still needs done when you come back, if you can afford to eat out on holiday in a hotel then you can afford it at home for a week.

Funnily enough, having children who need to be in school also places limitations on you and your family, because kids are in school outside of the school holidays.

What complete nonsense. There is no link between taking kids out of school and poor outcomes if the kids are being taken out for family holidays or religious holidays. Of course it has to be reasonable but this new policy isn’t

Disagree, I think there's a lot of value in any trip abroad no matter how unadventurous. To a child, simply hearing a foreign language and seeing things done differently abroad, different foods, scenery etc is educational. I took my 2 and 4 year olds for their first abroad holiday during February half term. A week in Tenerife. They got a huge amount from it and both of them still talk about it a couple of times a week at least.

It's a special childhood experience and if a family can only afford it in term time it would be a shame to rule out it ever happening. Not necessarily every year of course.

With respect if you haven't done it you aren't really equipped to comment on the value of something.

The importance of education is nothing to do with it as 1 week off a year will make zero difference to most children. Slavish obedience to pointless rules above using your own judgement is what you're teaching with this attitude.

My son is going on the school ski trip for a week in January,

DD's old school does the skiing trip during February half term.

It's quite a coincidence that all mumsnetters children go on culturally enriching holidays, yet the teachers on this thread are saying the opposite.💁

A UK holiday in the school holidays is more expensive then going abroad in term time and I want my children to realise their is a world outside of England.

Yes it disappears on holiday! Someone cooks, cleans, washes up and plans all the meals. And although you come back to the washing you don’t do it on holiday. Nothing but focussing on the kids and having fun with them. Wonderful!

There's absolutely evidence of a link between attendance and attainment.

But perhaps the government should shrug that off?

I’m taking my youngest out for a week next year in October so we can go to Disney for 2 weeks. My eldest is in a secondary school where they have a two week half term then. And honestly, I just…. don’t care. He’s my kid and I decide where he is on any given day and I don’t care if it infuriates the teachers or Bridget Philipson or anyone. That’s what we are doing, he’ll have a wonderful time and it’s what we want to do. Taking the Birds Eye view across his entire life, what impact will missing that week of school have? None whatsoever.

Some children don't get crafts or films at home. The winding down at the end of term allows those children to have some fun.

Why should they go completely without any compassion so others can take their children abroad during term time?

What does this have to do with you moaning about your holidays?

You chose the job...the job that you've been consistently moaning and moaning about for years on Mumsnet.

Indeed. My friend spent more money in a week in center parcs than myself a week in Lapland

both in school holidays

Yes this! I took mine to Swanage and not only did it piss down a couple of days but it was so bloody expensive!

Back to Eurocamp next summer. It’s actually cheaper to go abroad and you get decent weather.

I think you mean on the type of holiday that you choose to go on.

Choose home education for your children then, you know that schools have terms when you send your child to school.

I don’t dispute that this would be enjoyable or memorable, but how many people’slives are shaped by holidays more than their education?