To tell school DS is ill & go on holiday?

[ClunkyCoconuts]

I know I am BU but I am so fed up of the education system that I don't really care. I'd more interested in if other parents do this or would do this.

DS is 9 and has special needs. He was treated terribly by his mainstream school and the LA and subsequently was left without ANY school at all for 2 whole years.

He has finally been placed in a specialist school and is getting on well.

I've booked a holiday for next year. Cannot afford school holiday time holidays at all and also wouldn't like to go on one then anyway as it's busier which would be too much for DS to handle anyway and make the time not enjoyable for him.

It means he will miss 3 days of school. I don't like having to lie to the school but I will as I cannot afford the fine.

I know he will likely go back the next week and talk about his holiday so they will likely know he wasn't ill but what can parents do who cannot afford holiday hike prices?

I know holidays are a luxury but families deserve to spend quality time together and my DS has had a very difficult few years and has missed out on a lot due to being excluded from schools.

Before the new rules I would have asked for it to be authorised due to him having special needs and needing to go at a quieter time but it doesn't sound like any of this will be authorised any more.

Does anyone else phone in sick for their children to be able to go on holidays? I'm sure people must do.

Personally for me I don't feel the reason of "it affects their education" matters as the LA weren't bothered about that when they left him without a school for 2 years.

I think they have to miss five days for the fine to kick in? Hopefully somebody with more knowledge will come along and advise you.

You can’t argue with the LA that your child’s education is important then go on holiday in term time. It will not looked on well at all.
But ultimately that’s your decision and if you’re comfortable with it, go for it. Personally I wouldn’t give the school or the la any ammunition against you.

He's missed out a lot due to being excluded, which you're annoyed about, but you want him to miss more time where he's settled.

Do it, but don't expect to whine about how you've had enough of schools. This one didn't do anything wrong and you're making it harder for them to teach your son and pretending you value the time he spends there.

YABVU - can you imagine if everyone had that mindset

Does the ban on term time annual leave still apply in specialist schools?

Your ds deserves an education.

Personally I think missing 3 days of school a year to have much needed bonding time with family is fine. I fought the LA for years and have concluded they don't really care about the child's education as evidenced by the way they treated DS. I feel that the fines are just another way to extract money from people. If it was about the impact on a child's education then they would apply to private schools as well.

I don't like having to lie to the school as it's not them who have made the rules but I don't have the money for extra fines. I'll never have enough money to go away in school holidays nor would I be able to due to DS's needs.

I'm just wondering if other people feel the same way and also phone in sick or if people stick to the rules and only do holidays during school holidays.

what can parents do who cannot afford holiday hike prices

They don't go holiday. Or they risk a fine. Or they lie and risk a fine.

You've said you don't care, so it's pretty pointless coming online to 'ask' when what you're actually looking for is a chorus of sympathy and approval, though.

Nope not looking for sympathy and approval.

Just interested in how many others feel/do the same.

I always imagined it would be quite a few but they just don't talk about it.

What you can do is factor the price of the fine into the cost of what the holiday would have cost you if you'd gone during the holidays. You'll still be saving money. If it's 3 days and he doesn't have any other unauthorised absences for the rest of the year, you are unlikely to be fined.

Just request permission for the 3 days from the head, if it’s refused/unauthorised you won’t get fined unless it’s 5 days.

It sounds like you've had two years to take term time holidays and benefit from the price

There is a chance it will go down as unauthorised anyway (depending on how strict they are) and they can retrospectively change it anyway. The threshold is 10 sessions in 10 weeks so just ask for it and see what hapoens

Or move to Scotland. None of this fining nonsense.

Just tell the truth. No point lying and it’s not fair on your child to lie.

Would the fine for 2 parents and one child be £160?

You said in your OP that your DS can't cope in busy situations. If this is genuinely the case and the reason for booking a term time holiday, then tell the school this. Some schools will authorise in these circumstances if they know and understand the child's needs.

so after two years, he’s finally thriving and doing well?

Fine would be £80 but they are unlikely to fine unless you already have other unauthorised absences.

No don't lie

Not fair to child

But 3 days won't be an issue

It's 5 or 10 sessions am and pm

Plus from friends who have sen children , they don't seem to get a fine as they can say holidays are too loud and busy for their child and all haven't been fined

Where I have but don't have a sen child

Can you not say your son is off sick with mental health reasons and that he needed a holiday to support recovery?

If he’s in a SEND school then saying he needs time off because he has SEND isn’t going get you very far. You say he deserves bonding time, but why do you need to go on holiday to do that. You have a whole week at half term. Can you not go out and do fun day activities?

I would just tell the school you’re doing it and why. If it’s unauthorised you may get a fine (but probably not as it’s under the 10 sessions) but if it were me I’d go anyway and pay the fine if necessary. It’s 3 days, not 3 months.

Plenty do. Ten minutes on Mumsnet will find any number of posts where people say they lie/don't care/they deserve a cheaper holiday/etc.

And it's the obvious reason why holidays in term time aren't authorised anymore and the fines/penalties have been increased since September - because far too many people do it and data has shown that lower attendance including for cheaper holidays has been linked with worse outcomes/child welfare on the whole.

Yanbu to take him on hols but don’t lie

for three days you won’t get fined