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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To consider booking our family holiday during 'term' time?

59 replies

ConnieComplaint · 13/03/2009 18:25

Hi,

I'm sure this comes up often but I just don't know what to do.

My dh & I both work full time. DD is 7 (year 3 at school) & ds is at playgroup (so his attendance isn't essential.

Anyway, we were planning our family holiday in July (when dd would be off on her holidays) but our c/minder told me today she is having a weeks holiday in June, leaving me with the dilemma of booking a week off in June & no family holiday in July.

I couldn't take two weeks off so close together as I need to spread the holidays out from April to April & dd has sports days & doctor appointments.. plus I need to keep some days so I can use them if the children are ill
So I am left with the option of booking the week in June off work & holidaying ourselves at this time..the problem there is dd is still at school... she doesn't finish until the last day of June.

Dh says she won't be learning anything at the end of the school term anyway & we'd be mad to miss out on our holiday because I am cautious of keeping holidays so I have the days if the children (or me!) are ill.

WWYD? I don't want the school on my back as dd has a very good attendance record thus far, and I know other children who go on holiday in February & June so it's not totally unheard of here... but I keep thinking we shouldn't take her out of school.

OP posts:
slowreadingprogress · 13/03/2009 20:17

Yes I would too. I am sure it wouldn't be any sort of problem at all if it's just one week's annual holiday per year! I think the child would have to have significant and major difficulties for this to have a lasting or important effect on their studies.

charlie1000 · 13/03/2009 20:21

I think school will understand if it's the only time you can have a family holiday. I think it'll be fine especially has she has a good attendance record. If you put it in writing as hedgiemum said, i'm sure they will see a family holiday as beneficial to your DD for the sake of missing a few days at the end of term

Karamazov · 13/03/2009 20:43

I'm taking my DD out of school for her holiday - and I'm a teacher! (I break up slightly earlier than DD).

There's nothing that can be caught up, and in my experience of teaching a good child with good attendance will not be seriously delayed. I haven't got a problem with it, as a parent and as a teacher. I do think it is a different ball game though when they reach the critical stages of learning (exam times), taking time off in September, before exams / tests and other important times of the school year and for children who already have poor attendance. My DD has not yet had a day off sick - so many children have had more time off than her from illness, so as long as you're not in those categories, then I wouldn't worry about it (If I was in those categories, I would reconsider).

Karamazov · 13/03/2009 20:44

Sorry lots of typos

SugarBird · 13/03/2009 20:45

Yep - I'd take them out in any school year up to and including GCSEs. DS2 (home ed) has been taking GCSEs independently since he was 12 and passing them fine. One week's holiday is really not significant imo, even during exam years, as long as kids are willing to catch up on anything vital they've missed (and by year 10/11 they should be perfectly capable of arranging to borrow notes from a classmate so they can do this.

Schools try to guilt trip you because they have attendance targets to meet and taking kids out during term time buggers up their figures. While I understand that if you buy into the school system it's important to treat that system with respect, I think that (respectfully!) requesting five days' holiday during term time isn't a terrible thing. Really.

HappyMummyOfOne · 14/03/2009 10:18

You could ask you CM is she has a backup minder to cover her holiday, it may mean you dont need the week off and can your holiday then when you choose.

We have been getting reminders on the newsletters weekly that no holidays in term time will be authorised by the head and the links to the consequences/fines.

Children have 13 weeks off school so I can see why they are clamping down. It causes extra work for the teachers to catch up or when they are asked to provide work before they go etc.

smudgethepuppydog · 14/03/2009 11:30

I often wonder what would happen if everyone with a child at school waited for the end of term to take their children away, would everybody still be able to go on their holidays?

I work in a school so my hands are tied, I cannot take mine out during term time but if I could and at such a young age as the OP child then I would.

cmanni · 31/03/2009 21:43

I have taken my children before (in primary) as my husband has set holidays. I was a teacher for 10 years and if your child is doing well at school and has otherwise good attendance go for it. If your school has a blanket policy of not authorising holidays that is breaking the law as the headteacher has discretion (see directgov website for more details) and must use it-and be shown to use it. Holidays are often the only time when children can see their fathers (usually)for a block of time and I think this is hugely beneficial. If you get statistics from the school linking attainment and attendance take them with a very large pinch of salt. They do not look specifically at term time holiday effects and do not take into account that the children with greater absence tend to have special needs/free school meals/family problems/illness to name just a few so are utter rubbish. Note that economic reasons are not a valid reason unless you have a very accommodating headteacher.

cmanni

happywomble · 31/03/2009 21:57

If your eldest child is doing reasonably well academically at school I would probably take the June holiday and write a grovelling letter to the Head.

I don't think it is giving your child a bad message taking a term time holiday. The issue is how is it going to affect them...will they struggle to catch up with what they have missed on the academic side?
The other issue is the inconvenience to the school. I would not regularly take term time holidays as if everyone did it would be unsettling for the children and hard for the teachers to do their job. However if this kind of scenario only happens every 2 or 3 yrs I don't think its the end of the world to take your child out.

I think it would be far more unsettling for your youngest child to be left with an unfamiliar person for a week.

ChasingSquirrels · 31/03/2009 22:06

I'd book in June.

But then I take ds1 out for a week, so would say that.

I just told the school - via official holiday request form, which was returned as unapproved in line with school policy. I will remind them that he won't be there the week before.

majority of schools have policy of not approving as it impacts on their stats.

shabster · 31/03/2009 22:21

We are going in July. We need the last 5 days of the school year. I filled in the application form for DS4. He started at High school in September but has 98% attendance and has done really, really well - achieving the highest marks he can.

The Head teacher emailed me to say no he would not grant permission and did I not understand the importance of my childs education

We WILL be taking the time off - it is the last 5 days of the entire school year - we all remember how not very much was done in that last week!!!

It is parents evening on Thursday so I will be discussing it very calmly with the Head

cmanni · 31/03/2009 22:22

ChasingSquirrels

Did you challenge the school? Did they consider your reasons according to the law (not economic)? Schools and LEAs are being pushed to drive down absence figures and are ignoring or reinterpreting the law to help them do this- often illegally. Make them justify their reasons in legal terms. They will almost certainly cite LEA guidance and DCSF guidance but that is only guidance and not the law. You have to push, I hate to think of parents being put off because of illegal bans and decisions. For younger children holidays are great and a benefit and they will not be able to produce research (published in a journal and statistacally valid) to the contrary. Let families decide unless their are obvious reasons such as poor general attendance or low attainment levels. Choose other reasons than economic e.g. unable to take holidays during school holidays or family needs e.g. after bereavement or a "once in a life time experience". Schools have an agenda of clmping down on term time holidays BUT the law has not changed.

cmanni

cmanni · 31/03/2009 22:26

Shabster

Attendance is a factor which must be considered. Did the headteacher ignore this and act illegally? Quote the law and good luck.

cmanni

ravenAK · 31/03/2009 22:30

I think it's fair enough to take this holiday - IMO odd days of 'can't be arsed to get to school' are far more harmful than a once-off week.

So long as you don't expect your dc's teacher(s) to put in extra time catching up missed work.

Realistically, HTs have obligations to hit target attendance figures - I wouldn't be surprised to see this NOT recorded as unauthorised absence once the dust settles.

If your dc were in KS4, attendance figures are passed on to colleges & are VERY relevant. Otherwise, you can exercise your parental judgment I think.

shabster · 31/03/2009 22:32

cmanni - I emailed the Head and told him about the attendance about a month ago and he has not replied!!

The school is very rough! Every morning I watch my son walking up the road - eager and willing - immaculate uniform on and homework done. Like a lamb to the slaughter!

Believe me we ARE going - the Head threatened me with the 'being fined' nonsense. If that happens, because we are unfortunatly on benefits for the first time in our 30 years of married life, they are only allowed to take a couple of pounds out of our money per week.

I have a real bee in my bonnet about all this.

As my DS4 said the other day 'Mum you are the same age as most of my friends grans (52) and you have very high expectations of me!! - too high I think!' I am looking forward to my battle with the Head teacher

ChasingSquirrels · 31/03/2009 22:34

I didn't challenge it, I had already booked (and have again this year) and expected a "no". I see it more as letting them know rather than "asking permission".

It's not overly economic, more the fact that I don't want to be in Cornwall in May half term - it is just too busy. Which probably isn't a justifiable reason - but then I don't overly care either.

There are people who think think this view is abhorrent, so be it.

shabster · 31/03/2009 22:35

.....................FIGHT!!!!!

cmanni · 31/03/2009 22:37

Shabster

That sounds familiar. The law says consider attendance but that doesn't fit with our view. Fight for the right to consideration as per law not a school's policy.

cmanni

shabster · 31/03/2009 22:41

We will see what Thursday nights parents evening will bring Tom said 'please Mum just smile and nod at Sir!! - try not to be sarcastic!' Must look around for my Worzel Gummidge smiling and nodding head!!

ChasingSquirrels · 31/03/2009 22:42

do you even need to bring it up again shab? you have informed them, they have said no to it being authorised.
isn't that the end of it? e-mail the week before and remind them that x will be his last day this term.

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 31/03/2009 22:44

The law allows for leave in 'special circumstances' but it confers the power to decide what circumstances are special or not to the head.

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 31/03/2009 22:47

The school can't prevent you from going - it will be marked as unauthorised because as schools are no longer targeted on unauthorised figures, there's no need to try to keep them down. It's absence of any kind that is the stick to beat us with now.

shabster · 31/03/2009 22:49

You are right Squirrels thats what I plan to do. I keep rising to the bait though!

Remotew · 31/03/2009 22:50

We are allowed 10 day (2 weeks). I've used it, no problem. It's just so overcrowed and too expensive in school hols. Also I wouldn't have been able to afford to go away in the hols.

cmanni · 31/03/2009 22:54

In the keeping registers document special circumstances are suggested and this is only guidance- special circumstances- and not the law. This is what is upsetting me, the powers that be are not changing the law but are changing guidance to help them to meet their views and targets and then disregarding the law. The law comes first and guidance is irrelevant if it does not fit with the law.

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