To think that this makes no sense at all and completely defeats the point of it?

[WineInMyBelly]

I have 2 children with SEN, both children attend a specialist SEN school. I’ve made a flexible working request in work (I don’t work in education. I work as a marketing manager for a global company) to work term time school hours only. My flexible working request has been approved. But now my line manager and HR are both saying that the term time/school holidays will be based on the school holidays for LA schools in our area and not my children’s specific SEN school. The school holidays for my children’s school vary slightly from the school holidays for the local LA schools though! I’ve queried this with my manager and HR but they won’t budge on it at all. I had assumed a term time contract meant that I would be working when my children are in school and off when they are not in school but obviously that won’t happen now! AIBU to think this makes no sense at all and completely defeats the point of me having requested term time working?

You beat me to it. I was going to ask the same.

@saraclara and @cowandplough, you ask "Did they know/did you inform them your school holidays differed from the norm".

I have to ask - did either of you read all the OP's posts, or just the first one? Because had you done so, you wouldn't have had to ask a question she answered two days ago (25/01/2026 13:52).

It's really easy to check if the thread has moved on before responding, just click on the 'See all' in the bottom right corner of any of OP's posts.

I’d 100% talk to ACAS.

Flexible working requests should be based on personal circumstances . Your personal circumstances require you to have time off when your children are home. It makes no sense to have these requests when your kids aren’t home.
It feels like they are trying to make it difficult for you. Do you think they are trying to make you out?