would you take your children out of school for a hol?

[temmy99]

It has always been the case that holiday prices tend to rocket during school holidays that i am contemplating taking the dc out for a couple of days to save about 40% on the Alton towers deal. It is not something I would usually do so i just want to know how I could put it to the school without it backfiring on me. We r not doing anything for xmas or new year but I am looking at the april hol. Do I put in my request now or nearer to the time?

well just be honest - the kids will want to talk to their friends about it and you can't really pretend it's anything else - if it is a rarity the school will be fine about it; provided it is not during exams / sats / school play that they're in etc. some people regularly take their kids for 2 week hols etc so dont worry.
speaking as a teacher (-:

now

yeah I would.

I wouldn't ask the school's permission. I would TELL the school that because my children's attendance is generally so good and because holidays are cheaper during term, I have mde the decision to do this. You have to just make a decision and live with it.

I think some people want to do this with the school's blessing. You just have to be comfortable that you're doing the right thing.

Saying this, I haven't done it, but I might, and for my children who never miss school and with our limited funds it'd be the right decision, but I understand that the school can't say "oh yeah! wey hay, off you go, bring me back some turrón"

Agree, just request the time for a family holiday. As long as your DCs have decent attendance records and this is unusual, it shouldn't be a problem. Schools can give up to 10 days as authorised absence. They don't have to, they could refuse it- but if you go anyway there's not a lot they can do. It should only be an issue if it happens often.

I would and have... and was going to say that school's can authorise ten days leave. It is usually granted only in exceptional circumstances tho.

I definitely agree with VS - have conviction with your decision and tell the school your plans (and, perhaps, why).

My only concern would be if you are in a high demand area... should your departure offer a vacancy and would the school fill your place quickly?

thanks for that everyone, we will only be going for two days and they have not missed school because the last hol we had was more than 3 years ago. I will put in the request once I know it is definate, because I still have to check availability and book first!

Some state schools have a policy of NEVER authorising absence for hiolidays, so be warned. But they would usually have told you about this in advance.

In extreme cases parents can be fined for unauthorised absences.

kiwi - surely the school can't just kick the child out for a 2 day absence?

My sons went to different schools - one was in private education, the other chose to go to the local state school.
The private school always broke up for holidays earlier, and sometimes their half term weeks were not the same, so we often applied for time off school for the son in the state school, so we could go away with cheaper prices when the private school broke up.
Things may have changed now, but I was told that they could authorise 10 days absence by law, so this covered a fortnight's holiday.
I will add that both my sons always caught up with missed work when we returned.
It was quite funny when I asked for an absence form, and requested 1 day off school - reason - trip to Egypt!
I took my son for a day trip to Cairo for his 14th birthday.
The headmaster phoned me, because he thought I must have made a mistake with the dates - he was rather surprised!

Fill in the form now and ask for permission but expect it not to be authorised. If your child has otherwise good attendance don;t worry about it. If their attendance is rubbish and you've previously been issued with a penalty warning notice then you could get fined (unlikely though).

I have taken my DC's (4 & 5) out of school for holidays twice this year without issue. I explained why and the school authorised it.

Re the fines - who issues these and on what basis? How are they enforced. I am intrigued!

I would if I thought I could get away with it but don't want to brand my kids as part of a naughty family with the school!

figgy - I have never heard of daytrips to Cairo - tell me more!

yes

Nancy, in our LA they are issued by the Edducation Welfare Department. They consist of a Penalty Warning notice advising parents that the child cannot have any absence within a set period without good reason. If they do then a fine is issued. It's part of the Education Act (1996 i think) and is legally enforceable. Parents who don't pay can be prosecuted for non-payment and parents of non attenders prosecuted for not ensuring the child receives a suitable education (or words to that effect).

Education Act Section 444

Thanks saggar. Since the Act talks of failing to attend "regularly" I wonder what the definition is.

Interestingly it also appears to say that you cannot be guilty of failing to ensure regular attendance if the school is not in walking distance (even if distance has nothing to do with the failure to attend )

Not really relevant to OP but interesting (well I think so )

Most schools view 'fail to attend regularly' as 80% attendance or less - viewed as persistant absence by the DfE. But a lot is to do with the effort made by the parent - if you don't engage with school and appear to condone the absences then you're obviously more likely to be on the receiving end of a fine than a parent who at least appears to be making an effort. IME anyway.

I think statutory 'walking distance' is 3 miles.

I've done it, yes. Holidays are often 3K more expensive in the summer holidays - it's disgusting!

I think it is dreadful the way prices are hiked up for the holidays - how do large families stand a chance of being able to afford to go away? It is bad enough with just two children.
Taking time off school is the only way some families can afford to go away on holiday. I don't blame them.

figcake - we have a local holiday company called Bath Travel that arranges day trips flying from Bournemouth. They go to many different destinations, and at that time they did Cairo and also Luxor.

We left Bournemouth around 5am, arriving in Cairo at midday. We went to the Pyramids, ( went into the centre of one of them ) and also had a camel ride there. Then we went to see the Sphinx, before going to the Cairo museum for a while. We had time to see the Mummy Hall and the Tutankhamun treasures.
We returned to the airport around 5pm, and got back to Bournemouth around 10pm.

This was 10 years ago, but my son still says it is his best day out so far.
I think it cost about £ 300 each back then, which included flights, coach transfers and journeys, and services of a company tour guide all day.

Cairo is cooler than Luxor, so it was not too hot, but arriving in Luxor at lunchtime would have been extremely uncomfortable.Well over 100 degrees.There is no shade in Valley of the Kings, and I knew my son would not cope well in that heat, although he would have loved to see the tombs there.

I did this Once, in 2000, taking the kids to Disneyland for a Millenium celebration. Only DD was at school then, in Yr4, & had 1 week off (we went Feb half term + following week.)

Next Summer I have been waiting for for many years :) DD is now at Uni, and DS will have finished his GCSE's so we are going away early July, after exams but before schools break up.

Figgy - thanks, I think I may look into this further - sounds really surreal and nicer than going somewhere freezing for a day in Europe

I would. Obviously not during crucial times such as exams etc but for me, quality family time comes first. If that's the only way we could afford to go away I would. That said regular attendance at school in general is something to be taken seriously. I was never allowed the odd day off here and there because I was 'tired' unlike most of my friends! :(

figcake, I don't think they are doing Cairo and Luxor at present, although they do go to other hot destinations.

I am sorry if this offends anyone, but I absolutely refuse to ask permission to take my 3 children on holiday with me. I never ask, and never will! If it happens, which it has from time to time ( sometimes missing a year or 2), I just take them out of school and say after the event that they came on a family holiday with me. I always check whether there is anything crucial happening like exams, etc, and the rest of the year they are never late or miss days off here and there. I attend everything I possibly can to let the school know I am involved with my children. I have never had any problem like being fined.

It is absolutely forbidden here in Belgium. You can take one day for personal reasons, any more require a doctor's certificate. If you took 2 weeks unauthorised absence you would come back to no school place.