Taking DD out of school for holidays - been unauthorised.

[Bunch]

Me and DH have booked a 2 week holiday for next May. DD is in Year 4 and DS in Year R. DS headteacher has authorised his 10 days but DD's headteacher has not. We realise now that we should have had the school authorise it before we booked it but its too late. Apparently it is the week that they have their QCA tests (whatever they are). I know it is Sats time but not until Year 6 so I didn't think it would be a problem. What would everyone do?

We have never taken any of our children out of school in term time,but next year neither of us can have february half term off and DH can't have Easter off so we will possibly break our rule and take DCS out for a week in late February.
I don't like doing this atall,but DH is a GP with 2 partners also with school age children and only one can be off at once.
I am a nurse part time and have to coordinate holidays with about 50other people,so again am restricted..
Not everyone works in education and can have every school holiday off every year.

I think parents and not schools should decide what is best for their kids -- including holiday time. However, I think a holiday that requires the child to miss valuable exam prep is irresponsible parenting. I am assuming this is just a holiday for the sake of holiday and not say the last chance to see a dying grandparent who lives in another country or a once in a lifetime experience of some educational value.

Do the same parents who complain about not being allowed to take children out of school also complain if teachers are sick, or heaven forbid, take industrial action as well as complain about INSET days? I bet they are also quick to blame the school if their child does not do well in tests/exams etc?

Parents need to think about the example that they set their children. No wonder employers complain about the work ethic of narcisstic school leavers and graduates who think that the world revolves around them and take no responsibility for managing their time let alone turning up for work on time and who also think there is nothing wrong with taking a sick day if they fancy a day out!

Again, what message are parents sending to their children when they openly display a lack of respect and regard for rules, regulation, authority, collective responsibility as well as social (in this case shcool)coherance? If everybody did as they pleased with no regard to the impact on others, there would be chaos and anarchy. Many children these days know a lot about their rights but seem oblivious to responsibility. Not surprising considering the example they have been set by their parents.

IMO, holidays are a privilege not a necessity.

I strongly disagree with your last statement, Spokette.

I also think that it's wrong to condemn some families to never being able to have a holiday together when work dictates that one parents cannot take school holidays off.

Nobody is saying anarchy is the way forward rather a little understanding.

My DH can't take school holidays off. He works for Royal Mail and its ridiculous the way they get to "choose" when to go on holiday. The people who have been there longest get the first pick and then it moves all the way down to the recent starters - guess when everyone wants to take their holidays horror - school holidays

Good grief - so two working parents should spend their hol - the only extended family time they might get with their children - sitting at home while thier kids go to school every day? 'a holiday is a privelidge' is a fine enough belief if it refers to a trip somewhere (preferably) nice - but if two working parents are restricted to inflexible leave it is the ONLY family time they have.

How high and mighty you are!

Personally, I will not be taking DS out of school for hols - but it would break my heart if - as a working parent - I could share no holiday time with my child.

I don't agree with people taking their kids out of school in term-time but I do think heads should show understanding when parents are in jobs where they can't get leave when they want it or for weddings etc.

However, what annoys me is the number of people who clearly do not have school-age children who go away in August! Why oh why would you even want to? I'd always go away in May or September if I had the choice.

And yes I know some of them are teachers - but I don't believe they all are!

I agree totally, Blu!

If I was going to the Med I would opt for may or september but in this country I would like to optimise my chances of decent weather. Actually though when mine were -pre-school we used to go late June/early july.

Juule, fortunately there are people in the world who factor in considerations other than 'Will this affect my child's overall attainment in the long-term?' such as the short term disruption to children, staff and other pupils in the school and if an absence is going to be unauthorised impact on league tables.

Once again, I am not saying that there are no circumstances where it is acceptable to take children out of school during term time and actually schools, teachers and heads are generally very understanding, sensible and reasonable about such things.

But is it too much to ask that even where it is absolutely vital parents should have a little bit of consideration for the teachers, other pupils etc whom it is likely to affect??

And once again, as others have said, it's the message it give out which is a problem.

And apart from the exceptional cases where parental leave is a problem or there is some sort of family wedding or funeral etc (and schools have regulations about what sorts of absence are reasonable etc just as employers do) there ARE 13 weeks of official holiday to choose from.

I find this, 'If I can't take them out of school then I will never have a family holiday' thing pretty bizarre (except for rare circumstances with parental leave) when you have 13 weeks to choose from.

I am not high and mightly Blu! FYI, as a child I did not go on holiday because both parents worked and their minimal holidays did not cooincide with one another. Were I and my brothers deprived because we did not go holiday? Of course not!

Also, what do these people do with their children during the 13 weeks of official holidays if they are using up their leave during the school term? I bet many of them place them in play schemes etc but if they bothered to work it out, that money spent would have helped to pay for their holiday during the peak period. Let's face it, most people taking holidays during term time do so because it is cheaper. That is the real reason and the other excuses given to justify their indulgence are just that, excuses.

Another example of the whingers always expecting something without having to pay the going rate and expecting everybody else to accommodate them.

Sorry, I have no sympathy or empathy for those wanting to take their children on holidays during school term. If my DH and I want to take on DC on holiday, we will do so during the school holidays and pay the going rate by saving for it! Yeah, that's right, we will save for it. That's something else our modern, credit addicted society seems to have forgotten.

BUT some people are prohibited at work from taking time off during school holidays.

And yes, I do think a child who never has a holiday as a family is deprived and it has nothing to do with cost.

Children get 13 weeks holidays, plenty of time to book a holiday.

Our school authorises no holidays and I totally agree with the policy. It sets a good standard from the start and rules are there for a reason. Instals a good work ethic too from the start too.

Wondering what these jobs are that don't allow you to take any time off at all during the whole of July and August or the two weeks at Christmas and the two weeks at Easter or the Whit, February or October half-terms.

I have to say that I've never heard of this phenomenon before now.

TBH if you have young children you have the right to ask for flexible working hours and holidays that suit your family. Your employees have to give a very good reason why they can't comply.

I agree that a family that never has a holiday together is deprived but that's very different from not having a holiday abroad.

I think it's possible to have a brilliant family holiday without going anywhere or going up the road in a tent or youth hostel or whatever.

nobody is saying that you cannot have a brilliant family holiday in a tent or youth hostel up the road.

That is not the point.

They point is, that surely the parents can decide Where they wish to go on holiday?

All this total bollocks about the disruption to the other children makes me laugh. I have never noticed any of mine come home saying they were held up because so and so had been on holiday. And I dont think parents expect the teacher to go over any missed work? Particularly at primary level, they would be missing out on some reading (can be done on holiday) and maybe some number work (can also be recited anywhere).

An for your information NO mine do not have 13 weeks holiday at the same time. For example one of mine breaks up this friday for 2 wseeks, the date she goes back (mon 27th) another starts half term. Both state schools, both in the same LEA.

It is the same in February and may, and just to let you know this summer there were under 4 weeks their holidays coincided. One returned 19th Aug.
So you will see, that everyone has a different reason for taking their children out of school.

And Money, is a huge factor in peoples decisions, and I can fully understand that. If it was a choice of no holiday or a week or 2 out of school, I know exactly which one I would plump for.

hijack - Bunch, yes we've done a Baltic cruise, but on NCL.

Went up the Keil Canal; stopped at Germany; St Petersburg; Estonia; Helsinki; Stockholm and Copenhagen.

In August, natch, a couple of years ago.

(Although we have taken the children out of school for odd days relating to holidays, and the older two for international sporting competitions.)

I thought it was 10 days authorised, and antything after that was unauthorised absence.

Thats how it works in my school .....

Fivecandles - people in the Armed Forces can have very little choice about their holiday times. DH left us at the start of September, having only managed one weeks holiday over the summer (the rest got cancelled), will return at the start of December, and will then leave again for 6 months in January. He might get a weeks leave at some point in that six months, and if he does, I will be taking DS1 out of school to meet him somewhere. Obviously this is an extreme case, but these jobs do exist. He should get some leave in over Christmas, but it's not guaranteed unfortunately.

Of course parents can decide where they wish to go on holiday.

And there may be some holidays which don't coincide exactly in your own family but I think you'll find that you have quite a few weeks where your kids DO have the same holidays.

Ours don't coincide -there are 2 weeks either side of summer and the October half-term is sometimes different - which still leaves us with at least 9 weeks that do.

'All this total bollocks about the disruption to the other children makes me laugh.'

Well that's the sort of selfish, inconsiderate attitude I'm talking about. The attitude that says I'll do what I want and bugger the consequences or how much it disrupts or inconveniences others.

I spend a huge amount of time dealing with kids who miss work. I give up my lunchtimes and breaks to do it. I've told you about the lad I'm working with at the moment who did badly on his coursework because his parents took him on holiday while it was being taught and then virtually demanded that I got him an A grade.

Yes, primary schools don't have the same pressures as later on in the school but they have different pressures.

The OP is talking about taking her child out during exams. Exams which may be used for target setting and to measure progress and value added. It is highly inconvenient to arrange another time for a child to take these exams and it means she misses more class time.

But absence rates and esp unauthorised absence also goes on league tables.

I for one would be put off by a school which had a large number of unauthorised absence. It can be a reason to put a school in special measures.

Look, if parents feel they have good reason to take their kids out during term time then that's up to them but don't act as though it doesn't affect anyone else or have consequences.

You may not always be aware what those consequences are (teachers are very often incredibly diplomatic and don't want to offend parents) and frankly it sounds like you don't care anyway.

'What is all this bolleaux about sending out the wrong message to the child?'

well someone earlier commented on how they all ducked down in the car when passing the school on the way to the airport. That hardly gives a good example of the importance of school does it?

I get that money is a factor - it is for me - but you know what? If I can't afford to go somewhere during school holidays then I don't go or I go somewhere else or I make cutbacks elsewhere. And I would take the same if I wasn't a teacher.