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Education

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Original poster

lets start a campaign! parents rights to take kids on hoilday

185 replies

jayne222 · 14/07/2011 23:05

just want to rant a bit how unfair that schools no longer permit family holidays, the authorised absence thing is ridiculous for infant and junior children, the letter following and "unauthorised absence is threatening and rude, the fines are insulting and I feel mad about it!! I want to take a a short family holiday when it suits my family, I want to be concientious and make sure my child doesnt miss out on schooling, but this no longer feels like a free country!!

OP posts:

seeker · 17/07/2011 10:53

I'm always amused that everyon who takes their child out of school in term tiem is doing such worthy things.

Not havinf a cheap two weeks int eh Costa Del Sol - perish the thought!

Bonkerz · 17/07/2011 10:55

We are in a difficult situation as dsd lives in Nottingham and we live in Leicester. We normally go away half term in October which this year is different to Nottingham and as we are only having one holiday this year we wanted to take dsd with us so are taking our 2 children out of school as our Lea have no fines and notts do. Mind you it would have been cheaper and less busy to go In Our half term and pay the fine for dsd. Our half term would have cost £190 for 7 nights but we are now paying £415 for 7 nights!!!!!!! That's for 2 adults and 4 children in uk in caravan.

Peachy · 17/07/2011 11:05

AH yes. I don;t think cheaper hols are realistic becuase of the way teh amrket works, and I doubt OFTED willc are much: but I do wishs chools could tie thier holiday dates up! Mum wanted to take all Grandsons away at half term, nope, ours was a different week. And we have yet to have an INSET that all the schools share which would otherwise be useful for long weekend style breaks. I imagine step famillies feel that even more.

TheHumanCatapult · 17/07/2011 12:14

yellowstone

not at the price school are charging per pupil £600 plus we have to make sure we take out holiday insurance as well .And be impossiable for school as they would then need to accoimdate for the fact am in a wheelchair .Then add in If i went I would have to buy his food specially then be a lot of money .Don`t think any parent volunteers as they will be y10 .Ds2 can deal with his diet problems but the menus are preset and they admitted they will sturggle for it

But have now booked it for half term in Feb and we are going for 7 nights .and have done it for the £600 in total for both of us .Staying in hotel not hostel .

Have the schools iternary and will cover that plus few differnt things ds wants to see .but any tips on anything to see or do ,will be greatfully recevied

TheHumanCatapult · 17/07/2011 12:15

am going to make the most of the fact that ds2 still wants to go away with his mum

TheHumanCatapult · 17/07/2011 12:16

peachy we have same problem here 3 schools same county and they still can not tie up half terms

Peachy · 17/07/2011 12:49

That must be a PITA for teahcers too I would think?
See that much I think is worth campaigning over.

OddBoots · 17/07/2011 13:35

Isn't the reason the schools have started staggering holidays between boroughs so that it prevents everyone wanting to go away on the exact same week and so to help even out the costs a bit?

Peachy · 17/07/2011 15:43

Between boroughs perhaps

Mine are same borough.

Mum thing I can grasp; but all my 4 are at different schools and that makes for complex planning! But all within same county.

BusterGut · 17/07/2011 17:15

You may think that taking a child off school for two weeks is fine, and, I can understand the reasons why you do it - I know how extortionate holiday prices are in the school holidays, believe me!

However, the fact that children return from holiday having missed a couple of week's work (no reading, maths or writing) and then remain in holiday mode for the next two weeks, often means that they have effectively lost a whole month's work.

BusterGut · 17/07/2011 17:15

As regards Indie schools - I thought they broke up early and could take advantage of cheap hols anyway?

kernowqueen · 17/07/2011 17:41

I think its ok to take out the primary school, as long as its not abused. I have taken out my little one, but some long haul don't fly daily so you have to match whats on offer. Secondary schools, a bit different, but should be on a case by case basis, but what a nightmare to agree and police. However it seems that its different school by school. I do feel that the travel business should assist, but they are in for the profit. . My daughter rarely has time off school, but have missed 1 week due to being stuck in Ash Cloud, but we were delighted she got back in time for the weekly spelling test. ( a little snigger from me and her dad). However when we go on holiday I ALWAYS take, reading spelling and work with us, and she had to do a diary. Learning is about experiences, not just in the class room. We are not tree hugging parents (no offence if you are) but just want to keep up the hard work put in during the school year. My daughter broke up 2 weeks ago, so we have 10 weeks to fill, and so far she has done daily work. We are off to the other side of the world soon, so she will still have to do a diary!! I am sure she will love to read it when she is 30 ish and showing her children.

mrz · 17/07/2011 17:45

Perhaps that's why they have shorter term time but I know a friend who has children in two local schools won a holiday to South Africa which had to be taken at a certain time and both heads were less than happy about it and a colleague's daughter took her children (in another indie school) to a family wedding in term time and was called in front of the head to explain their actions...

kernowqueen · 17/07/2011 18:02

We did ask for out DD to have 1 week off when she was 4yrs in reception class. The teacher gave us the standard no we don't like it. ( but that was the standard school reply) By the time we got to the holiday, she was wishing us a great time, dont worry about it. On the 2nd time we took her out, it was only for 1 and 1/2 days extra, the school did write to us and wish us a lovely holiday.

kernowqueen · 17/07/2011 18:05

Ref shorter term time, they do have longer days at school, which contributes to the extra holiday time, but i do think they get a little too much. I think it would be good to have the whole holidays restructured, and not a hugh block of time off, who is that good for, just makes it harder to return, and when they do return they just spend the 1st 6 weeks getting back into the flow of things.

DragonAlley · 17/07/2011 18:07

If you want to take a short family holiday whenever you want, home educate.

TheHumanCatapult · 17/07/2011 18:10

ernowqueen .

At 4 your dd did not have to be legally in school anyway .So not lot they could say and you could not be fined as is not compulsary.

I am taking ds3 out for 2 days /25/26th of July as we are going away with a charity .but sinc even the salt is away as she had booked camping trip and not realised ds3 school is in those 2 days .I am not feeling guilty and to be fair his teacher is pleased that he is going o be of having fun .

We are also away days November dd and ds3 and boh have given permission

Meow75 · 17/07/2011 18:12

My DH is in the armed forces, I am a teacher. He is due to be deployed early next year and I will have to take some time off unpaid if I want to spend the last couple of days that he is in this country with him. I have no other option.

I KNOW that I chose to be a teacher, but given HIS career choice, it is the best career choice for me; schools are everywhere. It would be nice if there could be a bit more flexibility on all sides, but you should see the reaction of some of the parents of children that I teach where dad (usually, about 5% of mums are in the forces in this area) can also go away on deployment - and so the kids are kept off school, sometimes for the whole week before he goes away.

I love my husband as much as these families love their husband/dad but because I am a teacher, I all of a sudden have less rights?!?!

That's the thanks you get for supporting someone who is prepared to put their life on the line so that people are able to go on holiday in OR out of term-time. (Let's NOT start a discussion as to the rights or wrongs of the places where UK Armed Forces are currently deployed - many of you will NEVER agree with me.)

kernowqueen · 17/07/2011 18:16

The Human Cataput. I know the cheeky monkeys, i didnt realise that until 1 day I was chatting to one of the mums and she told me she didnt send her DD to school each Wed until she was 5 yrs old. I do think that its just the schools basic answer No to holidays as i think it can be a bit of a hot potato !! One of our teachers went to South America, not sure what for, but the school just put 2 classes into 1 for the two weeks, what a great experience for that teacher, I am sure she brought back loads of experiences for her class to learn about another culture.

yousankmybattleship · 17/07/2011 18:19

Good on the schools I think. They have to find some way to stop selfish and irresponsible parents taking their children out of school just so they can save a couple of hundred quid on a hoiday to Spain. Yes, its annoying that holidays are more expensive in the school holidays but children are just as happy in a caravan in Wales if parents make the effort to make it fun, they don't give monkeys about the sun. Some parents need to sort out their priorities. School, and the understanding of responsibilty, should come first. Holidays are not some kind of human right, they are a nice extra if you can afford them.

ragged · 17/07/2011 18:22

And camping is cheap yr round.

BusterGut · 17/07/2011 18:28

Meow - aren't you allowed the 10 days R+R just like anyone else?

TheHumanCatapult · 17/07/2011 18:29

Ragged tents and wheelchairs do not mix and i am honest enough dd and ds3 school know November we are only going to CP not evne pretending its a culture experaince

But for ds3 holidays can e a struggle due to his sn so schools accept it is better for him

kernowqueen · 17/07/2011 18:32

yousankmy battleship.

Not every one goes to Spain or Wales for that matter, i think the issue may be choice and price. I think someone said it earlier your child will remember that holiday. My DD still talks about a holiday we went on when she was 6 yrs old, she did miss some schooling, but held a hugh star fish the size of a dinner plate, swam on a reef, met children of another culture, sang on stage, and really enjoyed herself. Sorry but it was WELL worth it. My mum thinks we are crackers taking her to Australia when it will be much cheaper just to take her back to Cuba where she has some amazing memories.

Ormirian · 17/07/2011 18:36

Only read op. But no-one's stopping anyone taking a family holiday. You have nearly 13 weeks to take one. During the school holidays.

And how do you envisage the school coping with the constant absences of pupils at varying random times that suggest themselves to the parents?

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