primary school policy on taking hols

[bagpussmice]

I expect htis has been done before, but what is your school policy on taking children out of school for holidays during term time?
someone told me today that you can only submit one holiday request per academic/school year and that this is a new law - I've not heard that before and not sure our school has that policy.
as I understand it, I can submit a holidya request and dependning on the child's attendance the term before the holiday is to be taken, it may or may not be granted.

The law says that the headteacher can grant leave for a holiday in 'special circumstances', and that this should not exceed 10 days a year unless there are 'exceptional circumstances' It's up to the headteacher to decide what 'special' or 'exceptional' circumstances are, though the LA may dictate the policy which it then expects the head to follow.
In this area some schools seem to say the 10 days can be taken at any time, while others say it is one holiday of up to 10 days.

I understand you have no right to term time holiday but a request for approved leave of up to 10 days may be granted at the school's discretion. Unauthorised absence goes against the shcools' attendance stats. Ours is a private school and termtime absence for any reason other than health is very frowned upon although occasional exceptions (such as visiting family abroad) are made.

Ours publishes a points scheme telling us how they make a decision:

Year group: foundation=0pts, Y1/2/3=2pts, Y4/5/6=3pts
Level of attendance: 16 weeks=1pt, 2-8 weeks=3pts,

Our policy is that any holiday taken in term time is unauthorized. If someone exceeds this for an extended period (a week), they consider calling social services, and also possibly offer your child's place to someone else.

A friend of mine has DD at secondary school & DS at a voluntary aided Catholic primary, -which has decided unilaterally to finish this term on Friday, when every other school in the district finishes on Wednesday. My friend asked to take him out for those two days as they were going away for Christmas and was told she had to write a letter, then was sent a form & then had to have an interview with the head. She finally received a letter informing her that the her son could take the two days but it would be unauthorised!
What on earth was the point of that?

Our primary school allows each child 2 weeks every year during school time so they can go on holiday. The Head is very reasonable and states that she understands that it is easier to afford holidays in term time and until holiday companies change their pricing she will keep the two week rule.

has anyone experience of taking children out of Infants for longer (2x2 weeks) to travel with both parents who will be working abroad during that time?
I am thinking about arranging some form of schooling for them.
Thanks.

Someone linked the DfeS rules on this recently.

Price of hols was specifically precluded from a reason for authorised absence, so unless a head is very very secure in her forthcoming OfSted results, or doesn't care, I would be surprised to see one who was totally lenient about it!

here you go from August 2006. Scroll down to registration codes F and G.

This is for England.

At our school you can take a child out of school for up to 10 days in exceptional circumstances, but a holiday does not constitute exceptional circumstances. An absence for a holiday will not be granted.

I don't think a parent ever should. It is a message to the child that you flout school authority and put pleasure above education. It also spoils lessons for other children left behind. No one needs holidays.

But not having a hol is a deprivation indicator (seriously, it's in the official indices!).

Last year we wrote to dd's head mistress advising she was being taken out for 1 day for family visit as dh's mum was very ill. He thought it may be the last time we visited - it wasn't btw. School refused to authorise absence even though dd had only been off a week with Chicken Pox. They said if we went ahead with trip we would be reported to Ed. Welfare. Apparently this is borough wide.

I wrote to the school year before last if I could take my dd out of school for one week as her half term did not coincide with our teacher friend's half term, with whom we wanted to go on holiday. They didn't even bother to reply to my letter, just sent a school wide note out saying that ALL absenses for holiday in term time would be treated as unauthorised. This was after another girl in DD's class was given an authorised absense of 3 weeks to visit family in Asia. I was not amused.
The following year my friend (DD's godmother and this was a RC school) got married in Cyprus. I phoned and left a message on the answer phone the day before we left saying she wouldn't be in the next week as we were away. Sod them I thought, they didn't even reply when I asked the last time.
Got a very, VERY snotty letter from headteacher which I ignored. I just felt that if they'd had the common courtesy to reply to my VERY courteous letter the first time (even to say no), I would have handled it differently the second time.
Same school the year before that again, were fine about me giving her 3 days off to spend time with her dad, whom she had not seen in over a year as he had been travelling... They can't seem to make their minds up.