School absence over school term

[ForPlumOtter]

Hi

Can you help me out here? I am very confused - my husband has asked the school if we can get days of absence for taking our child abroad for 5 days during school term. My husband said once he wrote an email - he has a call from a the school to say it has been approved if the flight tickets are bought and shown to them. Once shown to them, we then received a letter to say it has been unauthorised. Am I missing something here? I understand it is not allowed unless under family emergencies or exceptional circumstances ( I also understand the headteacher can't go about giving in so many days off and this is why I was confused why they said to buy the tickets/ show them the flight tickets) however why saying to go and buy the tickets in the first place?

It has to be unauthorised, but maybe they aren't going to fine you. They also need to check that the child is safe and well when absent for a week, so maybe that's why they wanted proof of the holiday.

The normal route is to request their official holiday form rather than send an email. Maybe they were checking that it really was a holiday. Either way it will be unauthorised for the vast majority of holidays which are just family holidays rather than for any exceptional circumstances.

It’s very unlikely they would be able to consider it an authorised absence. There’s not much that falls into that category from a local authority point of view, and definitely not holiday during term time. But that doesn’t mean you can’t go.

Thank you for your response. What should we do now? We do intend to still go because we bought the tickets etc...but do we have to ring school that morning.. do we have to tell school that we are going to take those 5 days as unauthorised ? Or do we not ring up school at all? Thanks

You just go. They can't authorise term time holidays, but they don't have to fine you.

You go on your trip and tell the dates you're going to be away. You might get a fine as holidays are always unauthorised, doesn't mean you can't go

You just go….you’ve told them the dates so they know….my DD took her girls out of school for 4 weeks for a trip to Australia…..head just said he can’t authorise it….but have a lovely time

Are you sure your husband isn’t misunderstand when he first spoke to them? There’s no reason for the school to have told him it makes a difference if tickets are bought because it doesn’t.

Just tell the school you’re going and expect it to be unauthorised.

Thanks for that. Not just the dates - we have also shown them the flight tickets. I would have rather only given them the dates not as much as details but anyway we have done as we were requested...And now my husband seemed surprised and confused so he emailed him back to say why did the school admin said to book flight and show them tickets...he also wrote please look into the matter again...i think we should have not emailed him...i feel like telling my husband to send an email to say ignore my recent email!!

Your DP has got the wrong end of the stick…..if they bother to email back it will just be to repeat it can’t be authorised….then leave it at that…just go and enjoy your holiday

But had he already booked? It sounds like school assumed he had and wanted proof.