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Original poster

£350 for 1 week in July term time- family of 7 - or £1100 in school holidays??

216 replies

devonvalley · 28/05/2014 00:20

Yep that old term time holiday chestnut-
We are a family of 7 we can only afford to go on a Uk term time holiday, or have no holiday at all!(yes I know some do not holiday at all !)
Why is it seemed the, one holiday a year family, like us, have to be penalised , and berated?
It appears to my friends and I, that in our experiences, the people who can afford there £3000-£4000 a year on their peak season holiday, have little regard for families such as ourselves and our friends predicament, because money appears to not be an issue for them.
Travel, new experiences, and valuable family time are great educators , are they not? so when those of you who resent , parents who take our children out for 5 days once a year, spare us a thought, its most probably the only time we can afford to go.(and avoid fines by ......!)
Also when school residential trips seem to cost £270 upwards- £350 for 7 of us to go away, not just one of us seems to be preferable!

OP posts:
TalkinPeace · 28/05/2014 19:42

NOBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO TAKE THEIR KIDS OUT OF SCHOOL IN TERM TIME
it is the preserve of selfish MC and aspiring MC families

the poor cannot afford "holidays" anyway
the rich can afford "holidays" anyway
and only those who have a false sense of entitlement take their kids out in term time
often to shite like Disney

bakingaddict · 28/05/2014 19:52

Do what the fuck you like why try justifying your position when you seem so entitled to take this holiday and blast people who can either afford a summer holiday as being unfeeling or those who worry about the impact of term time holidays on their kids education

SoonToBeSix · 28/05/2014 19:57

Talking peace you are talking rubbish "the poor" can afford a week in pontins term time but not in the school holidays. And it hasn't always been this week my dc's school always allowed ten days except during sats .

TalkinPeace · 28/05/2014 20:00

you tell your kids its OK to bunk off then : your life choice

moldingsunbeams · 28/05/2014 20:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Justtoobad · 28/05/2014 20:02

You can travel for religious reasons.
Best work out when all the different festivities are Smile

morethanpotatoprints · 28/05/2014 20:02

What holidays more expensive during school holidays, no shit Sherlock.

TalkinPeace*

I totally agree with you and would add how sorry I feel for those who can't afford any holiday and see parents encouraging truanting. Perhaps the fine should be increased then there would be no question.

A classroom isn't the only place where children learn and they may not miss a whole heap of work, but you agree to the terms and conditions of school by sending them, so play by the rules.

Fairylea · 28/05/2014 20:04

Talkinpeace - you just don't know family circumstances. You can't make assumptions like that. For example, several years ago my now ex dh walked out on me and my 6 year old dd. Literally just vanished overnight. No contact. We had to downsize our home and dd was hugely affected by it all. I chose to take her to that "shite" place Disneyland as you put it because that had always been her dream to go and I could only afford to take her during term time, 4 days taken as sick.

She had a wonderful time at an otherwise truly awful time and 5 years on still talks about it now and says it's the best place she has ever been to. It helped with some of the stress and anger that she was experiencing. Staying in school wouldn't have helped with that and I couldn't have afforded to go otherwise.

When she looks back on that time now she remembers the fun we had at Disney, that mum and her could still have fun without ex dh. That was important to me.

Sometimes having a holiday at the only time you can have one is really important.

SoonToBeSix · 28/05/2014 20:09

Glad your dd had a lovely time fairy, that's exactly why head teachers should be able to decide based on an individual child's circumstances.

Fairylea · 28/05/2014 20:11

Thank you soontobe. I agree with that.

Hulababy · 28/05/2014 20:21

I wouldn't ask my children to lie.
I would tell the truth and take the consequences.

But as someone in education (was a teacher, now a HLTA) I really do not think there is much of an issue for a child to miss 1-2 weeks of term time to go on a family holiday. FWIW none of the primary school teachers I know in real life have an issue with it.

The reality is that for most children it will make absolutely no academic or social difference to the child or their classmates. Teachers do not set work for them nor require them to catch up generally - but equally they rarely only cove the same topic (in core subjects at least) only once in the child's educational career.

I missed a fortnight of school almost every year. My dad had factory shut down weeks and these were not in school holidays. Therefore it was the only way we could go away. It did not affect the education of me, my brother or my sister. We all went on to gain degrees and work in our chosen careers.

A family holiday, although not a right, is a lovely thing and to be encouraged. Time away from the home, where there are no work stresses and time for everyone to relax and have fun together - even if not in an educational setting - is always gong to be beneficial to the individuals and to the family as a whole.

It is children who are taking extended leave that causes the main issues. A child who is out of school for 4-6 weeks plus, and often not speaking English in that time is far more of an issue for many schools. Children who return to school after extended leave often find it hard to go straight back into work.

TalkinPeace · 28/05/2014 20:22

Fairylea
and as an adult she will know that you lied to get her there
sorry, no sypathy
all families have shite
not all result to lies

Fram · 28/05/2014 20:29

I am astonished that people encourage, indeed teach, their children to lie to people in authority (i,e, their teachers). I cannot imagine why we have so many problems in modern-day society Hmm

I am pretty sure those parents happy to remove their children from school in order to holiday during term-time would be up in arms if teachers took their families away in term-time, in order to afford holidays.

Hulababy · 28/05/2014 20:31

I think the teacher taking holidays argument is a little different tbh.

The teacher, as an adult, makes a choice to work as a teacher. As such the teacher chooses to restrict their own holidays to school holidays only.

The only alternative for parents is to home ed. And home ed is not actually a viable option for all parents, so school is their only real choice.

1805 · 28/05/2014 20:37

We only ever went camping as a family holiday when I was younger. Because we couldn't afford anything else.
What's so wrong about that? I have some fantastic memories of lovely family times.

JessMcL · 28/05/2014 20:37

Your going in July right? (or planinng to?) Let's face it- what are kids taught in the last 2/3 weeks of school? Not very much. Do it I say but be prepared to live with the consequences- if you get whacked with fines for all of them then it will only be £200 less than your holiday. Suppose it depends how much £200 matters to you

I wouldn't lie. Liars get caught out eventually.

mrz · 28/05/2014 20:58

If your school doesn't teach much in the last 2 or 3 weeks of the year you need to be asking questions why.

handcream · 28/05/2014 20:59

So you have 5 kids and really feel it's not fair that you don't have the holiday you feel you deserve.

You also expect all 5 of them to lie to cover up for you. Great work ethic you are showing to them. Showing them that if you want to throw a sickie to get what you want that's fine by you.

HappyMummyOfOne · 28/05/2014 21:57

This is why the fine should be £60 per day not holiday as parents are still ignoring it.

I hope the school issue the fine, I doubt for one second they will believe all five children are sick and it's not like you'll be able to get proof from a doctor given it's all a lie.

There are some very entitled people around, a holiday is a luxury not a necessity. Go in the 13 weeks children have off school, if you can't afford it as you have five children well that's a choice you made having them.

Very few family holidays are truly educational, it's just spouted as an excuse to break the rules.

VenusDeWillendorf · 28/05/2014 22:12

Holidays are marvellous inventions- relaxed time for reconnection for family members who are often meeting like ships in the night.

Long commute times and different school runs, extra classes, weekend sport fixtures and grocery shopping, cooking and housework get in the way of a family having any real down time together.

Keeping a family functioning healthily by having a holiday together is a worthy (and relatively inexpensive) aim.

Divorce and unhappiness cost society a lot more then a missed week or two from school.

Sometimes the end result justifies the means.

TalkinPeace · 28/05/2014 22:15

THose who say they have to have holidays in term time .....

What do you do with your kids in the 12 weeks a year they are not at school?

Or is that when you ignore them at home playing on screens?

Hulababy · 28/05/2014 22:16

IMO it doesn't matter if a holiday is educational or not. They are still very beneficial to all members of the family. Not least because it is uninterrupted time off as a family without the day to day stresses of being at work, school, housework, etc.

Even as a teacher/HLTA I can see the benefits of a holiday for a family.

And you know what - even just a week playing on the beach can be educational if you want it to be.

Education doesn't just happen sat in a classroom. Even the very best teachers would be able to see the educational benefits of a holiday anyway if they really want to.

Hulababy · 28/05/2014 22:19

TalkinPeace - we had to have holidays in term time when I grew up as it was the only time my dad was allowed off work. There are still some - albeit very few thankfully nowadays - that have factory shut downs limited to certain weeks which are still in term time.

And it is very patronising to suggest that parents who take term time holidays - I don't, I am stuck to school holidays myself regardless - then ignore their children in school holidays!

TalkinPeace · 28/05/2014 22:22

hula
so what DO families do for the 6 week school break if they have aleardy had their "holiday" ?

if they go away again then they did not need the term time break

Hulababy · 29/05/2014 08:35

Stay home. Play. Do library challenges. Anything that they may do any other time they are at home without bring away in holiday. Like any weekend perhaps.

Being at home for a period of time is still very different to going away on a holiday with parents. Parents are also having a break from work, housework and general day to day stresses. Which is what makes a family holiday so much more beneficial IMO.