Anyone know how long you can take a child out of primary school?

[shriekingviolet]

Have 2 dd's at primary school (aged 7 and 5), We are looking to move to NZ but we won't know until we are over there whether it will work, whether we actually like the place, jobs, how the children feel etc.
There is so much to consider, we really want to go out there and see. At the moment I am lucky enough to have them in a really good local village school, it is in the top 5 in our county, I am very aware that if NZ doesn't work out we lose our place at the school. So I was thinking is there a general policy for all schools about leave or does it depend on each school?
We are in the middle of selling up, so if all went well I was thinking of trying to go during August and see if I can ask the school for the whole of september off to give us sufficient time out there to see if it works.
If the school wasn't so good it would be so much easier.

bump

I doubt they'd hold any places at all- it would be unfair on another DC who might want that place, couldn't get it because it was being reserved for your DCs, THEN later found your DCs weren't returning at all!

FWIW, and this is COMPLETELY off-topic, You cannot possibly make your mind up about another country- whether it'll 'work' or not in 2 months. You'll need, realistically, at LEAST a year. Then you might decide to stay, cut some UK ties, sell property etc, but be prepared for the end of the honeymoon period, usually at the 18 month to 2 year mark. The new and exotic has become humdrum, the 'stuff' you 'left behind' in the UK is still with you (housework, bills, mortagages, general worries) and all you've done is transport it 12,000 miles away! I'm not suggesting going is a bad idea at all, incidentally- it might all be absolutely fantastic but you won't know in 2 months.

When we were moving DDs school had kids ready to jump in her space - I wouldn't be surprised if your schhol did too!

Talk to the school.

I have a friend who is taking her two DCs out of their primary school for 4 months (i think) to go abroad.

However, they are definitely returning, so a bit different to your situation.

The school were all for it. The LEA were not, but backed down because the school were happy with it and the trip is to visit family/cultural reasons.

This is an area where there were not enough primary school places to go around this year.

Worth having the converation I would think. Nowt to lose.

Friends of ours took their kids out of a popular school for nearly a year as one of them had a secondment in Oz. There is a day in the year, some time in January I think, and apparantly the school roll on that day is what determines the school's funding for the year. The head teacher agreed to hold the kids' places (1 Y5, 1 Y1)for the year as long as they left after that day and returned before it the next year. That way the places were held, but the classes were one child short for nearly a year. As far as I know the LEA weren't involved - it was within the Head's power to decide.

I'm not commenting on whether this is fair or unfair BTW but I think it's worth having a word with the school.