To take my kids out of school for three weeks

[scratchingheads]

We have an incredible opportunity for a once in a lifetime trip with family next year. It would mean taking my kids out of school for three weeks. They are 4 (reception) and 5 (year one).

It would be one week at end of term and two weeks at beginning of the next term.

Has anyone done this, what are the chances of the school going for it, and what else do I need to consider?

Just pay the fine. I absolutely would do it. You have 1 life. Live it. It's hardly going to affect their future career path at age 4 and 5

I’d do it with DC that age definitely. Would probably consider if you can come back a week early though so they just miss one week of the start of term - or even better miss the last 2 weeks of term instead (when not as much happens) and then be back for the start of the next one.
School probably won’t be thrilled but does it matter really, it’ll be unauthorised absence, as long as you don’t make a habit of it it won’t affect your DC much.
You also might have to pay a fine, so just budget that into your trip.

Just to add I’m saying this as someone who has never taken my DC out of school for a holiday, I just think a once in a lifetime trip for DC that young will be better life experience than 3 weeks in school especially when one week is the end of term.

Umm, ok, cool 👍

I remember this one too - her attitude was awful. I think the attendance issue was more than the three weeks if IRC?

Go for it!!

Real life experiences are just as important as in class education.

As long as it’s not at the beginning of September or impacts GCSEs etc which yours isn’t then it’s fine.

At those ages I would 100% do it (please give us a hint at this once in a lifetime opportunity!) and I would suck up the fine.

I have normally been against taking dc out of school for holidays (never did with mine) but having seen the little work they do (at the ages your dc are) in the last week of term then I wouldn’t hesitate. Just reread OP. Are these mid year term holidays that your trip would cover? For some reason I was assuming end of school year in July

Yes, and the issue was the impact on her job, having a criminal conviction.

I realise there was that issue but I think the childrens attendance was also poor outside of that particular holiday?

Nonsense, they may not remember it in detail but these memories, and the joy of the trip will help shape them. Let them go and have fun and enjoy themselves. Life is too short!

The joy of the trip will shape them? Seriously, no. No more than a trip to Butlins at that age 😁

And I wonder what a teachers perspective would be here?

I’m g guessing it’s DisneyWorld.

The end of which term, and the beginning of which term?

The fine would be a fixed penalty notice, you don’t get a criminal record for that. If you fail to pay and it goes to court you could end up with a criminal record. Once again Mumsnet is full of people talking out of their arses.

Honestly, a once in a lifetime trip, I’d do it and not think twice. That being said, in the part of the U.K. I live in, we don’t get fined and it’s just a simple case of me saying that my children will be off school from this date, until that date.

Perfectly fine for you to be of that opinion, but I wasn't asking anyone or everyone who thinks there's no harm in it. Genuinely wanted to know why a school attendance officer wasn't at least one of the ones seeing the other side of the argument.

As it happens, as an English teacher who has hundreds of children sitting (not 'sat') in her classroom over the course of each week, I know the real harm caused to those who fail to attend regularly (not least because parents don't always know best or even have their kids' interests at heart, but also down to the skills they just don't develop) and know that none of the ones who make it in and take the opportunity to learn need your pity.

That’s not true anymore. It can now go straight to a criminal prosecution. There was a discussion about this on BBC radio 2 just recently.

Had they missed time before? I think you might be right.

Also a teacher (albeit secondary) saying Go for it!! Your kids are young; they will catch up with anything they miss very quickly especially as it sounds as though they will be having enriching experiences with you and so long as you keep reading with them I cannot imagine what damage this will do. Life is for living and things like phonics screening can frankly wait! I don’t know an early years teacher who doesn’t think the phonics testing is a waste of time!!

I’d definitely take them and just live with the fine. There are not old enough for it to matter at all.

Totally agree, I’m in Northern Ireland and as long as attendance doesn’t fall under 85% or something like that, you’re good. I have zero qualms about taking my kids out of school for holidays every year (albeit not for 3 weeks) as I refuse to pay July/August prices. In NI we don’t get fined and otherwise my kids have no other time off, worst we’ve had over the years is the 48 hour exclusion time due to having a bug over the weekend.

I’d do it without a second thought.
Once in a lifetime opportunity trumps KS1 phonics etc. which we could easily catch up with at home.

That's not how it works anymore, I've based my suggestion to check in more detail on a government link to how the process works now, maybe you should read it.

I’m usually in the take them out of school camp always.

But not if it’s September.

We did something similar. My best friend lives in NZ and we went there 4 weeks spanning the Easter holidays when the kids were 5 and 2 and again when they were 9 and 6. The school actually authorised the 2 weeks of leave each time, but this was a while ago and I think the rules are stricter now.

We made sure the kids did some educational stuff when they were there - they learned about geysers and earthquakes and glaciers, and they both wrote diaries, which are excellent souvenirs. We did reading with them as well.

I didn’t feel like they missed out from missing school at all. Experiences can be a really good education too.