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Original poster

Unauthorised absense

16 replies

123pips123 · 20/03/2011 18:02

My son is in year six of an independent primary school. Following all the exams we have decided to go on holiday at Easter. This involves being away in the two days between the end of the school holidays and the long may bank holiday. We filled out the required request for absence form but have had a refusal from the head. We have never taken holiday in term time before and since all exams are over thought it would not be an issue. Other parents and one of the governors have suggested ignoring it and calling our son in sick. I am reluctant to ask our son to collude in a lie and don't want play these kind of games myself. Are their any penalties the school can inflict on my son? Does anyone know if regulations have changed since other parents have had not problems in previous years?

OP posts:

belledechocchipcookie · 20/03/2011 18:10

Your son is at an independent school, therefore the usual regs won't apply I don't think. Don't you have a longer easter holiday then state schools anyway?

fivegomadinthelambingshed · 20/03/2011 18:12

How long are your holidays?

AMumInScotland · 20/03/2011 18:12

If it's an independent school, it's totally up to them what penalties they can apply, and what their rules are - they're not tied by the rules which apply to state schools on that sort of stuff. It ought to say somewhere in the school rules, or information for parents - paperwork or website, whatever they have!

Original poster

123pips123 · 20/03/2011 18:19

Three weeks but we can't go away till the 18th April. They are due to go back on the wednesday for two days before the next long weekend because of the royal wedding, it is these two days we will be missing

OP posts:

belledechocchipcookie · 20/03/2011 18:21

Is he staying at the school in September?

amerryscot · 20/03/2011 18:27

I think a lot of people will be doing that because of Easter Monday, Inset Tuesday, and the Royal Wedding on Friday.

A lot of schools have a policy of not authorising term time holidays in any circumstance. It is a case of don't ask don't tell. But then again, it is not good to lie.

If you are going on holiday anyway, just don't bring it up again. It will all be dealt with in a gentlemanly way with absolutely no consequences for either party.

Original poster

123pips123 · 20/03/2011 18:28

No, year six is the final year

OP posts:

fivegomadinthelambingshed · 20/03/2011 18:30

I think there will be a major crack down in both private and state schools because of that very short week, you can tell they don't have children can't you.

belledechocchipcookie · 20/03/2011 18:31

I wouldn't worry about it to be honest. He'd learn a lot more out of school as they wouldn't be doing anything particularly interesting. The last term is almost always taken up with preparing for a school play IME, 2 days off won't really matter.

LynetteScavo · 20/03/2011 18:33

Really, I wouldn't worry about it. Yes he will get an unauthorised absence, but this looks worse for the school than it does you. The sky will NOT fall in - I have tested the system to the limit when DS school refused in the state sector.

exexpat · 20/03/2011 18:34

It's an independent school and he's leaving at the end of the year, and he's not missing anything vital in the way of exams in those two days?

Just don't send him in. No need to pretend to be ill - they wouldn't believe you anyway, since you asked about holidays. I really don't see what on earth they could do about it - they just say taking time off in term time is 'unauthorised' to make a point and discourage people from doing it too often.

meditrina · 20/03/2011 18:39

Has he already secured a his next school? If so, I really cannot see the current school will have any means of comeback, and you should just do it.

Do make sure you've handed in your formal written notice on time if the school also goes on to CE. If they' irritated with you, they might hold you to the very letter of the notice period, even if they know your DC is moving n.

Original poster

123pips123 · 20/03/2011 19:43

Thanks all for your feedback, as you say it has just irritated me excessively because it seems like a reasonable request. I have looked at the school policy and frankly there is nothing I it which would not make our request ok. I will point out the policy to the head and fully intend to let them know we will be off authorised or not

OP posts:

NonnoMum · 20/03/2011 19:48

If it's a private school, take the holiday and ask for those days when he is absent to be refunded from your fees?

Just a thought...

Michaelahpurple · 20/03/2011 20:48

I think a lot of people will be doing this - like you we will be coming back just for 2 days before the bank holiday. From the school's point of view, what else do you expect them to do? The policy, for both state and indepedent schools is that children should not be taken out of school for holidays, trips etc etc. Therefore, they can't authorise this (operations are different). It is really pretty binary - they just don't have another way to go.
I know how you feel - I took mine out for a day in january after 3.3 years of unblemished attendance and innocently wrote a similar email and got one back which seemed to hint that calling in sick would have been preferable - I guess it would be for their numbers. I had been rather silly I suppose to think it could be be cleared, for reasons above, and probably influenced by all our americans consistenly coming back 3 days late.
hey ho

amerryscot · 20/03/2011 21:02

A stupid one, nonno

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