Taking 5 year old out of school for holiday

[SMLSML]

We've booked a holiday abroad for next May. My eldest started school in September and her birthday is November. How do we tell the school she'll be away for the week? What is the process? Do we tell them straight up it's because we're going on holiday? All new to me, any advice appreciated!

They will have a form to fill in.
If its 10 sessions (5 days) you may get a fine.

You fill in a form, as @TheNightingalesStarling said and the school will not be able to authorise it, so it will be unauthorised absence and may be fined.

Ask the office for the absence form, fill it in and send it back and they will let you know its not authorised (they can't authorise holidays for holidays) Don't lie just tell them its a holiday as they will find out either way.

Over 5 days you will get a fine in the post from the council a few weeks later. You have to watch what over time you take off for (i think) three years after that as too much can go to court.
The school wont particular care as long as you aren't a regular offender of taking them out.

Thanks for this, it will be 5 days exactly, will this be fined?

Honestly at that age I’d be saying he is ill. I’d not be risking the fine.

We'd have to call every day from abroad though to say she's still ill? How does that work?

It’s never a good idea to lie. Children spill the beans unintentionally anyway. The fine is generally after 10 sessions, which is five days.

It says 10 sessions of more in our school policy so i'd expect one for 5 days exactly. It would only be the first level fine tho if that is your first time so £80 per parent.

4.5 days OK. 5 days is a fine. You and your child's dad both get fined but at least it is only one child.

This. They always do and a nice tan can be quite a give away too.

You’ll get fined and if you have three occasions of 10 or more sessions in a 3 year rolling period then it’s court :( you’ll just have to plan accordingly. We’re away next week and tagged onto school hols so it’s cheaper but not exactly frugal. We avoid the fine though.

It's only £80 each by the looks of it so I would just go and pay the fine.

We've just had a week off sick and we only called on Monday, we actually were all sick but how on earth would they know if you were in bed or abroad?

The children or their friends usually say something or they have a tan or a hair braid or similar. I was a teacher and didn't care that much either way but I knew the parents had lied.