A short 4 day holiday has not been authorised!!

[pumpkinsweetie]

My daughter has 98% attendence in her junior school and i have sent in a holiday form asking for her to have 4 days of for a short break with family and i explained it had already been paid for and they will not authorise it as the target for SCHOOL attendence is not within goverment guidlines of 95%! Well in was not happy with this dicision as 1:shes never had a holiday 2:her other 2% abcensses were coz she was ill and authorised and 3: its not my problem about the whole school goverment snitzel bla bla

What does everyone think to this considering shes got 98% attendence ? The reason im annoyed is that A ive already paid and B i dont wanna b fined for 4 rare days outta school

If they make an exception for you, they have to make exceptions for others. That's the problem isn't it? I don't wish to sound rude, but from the school's point of view, what is so special about your circumstances?
Again, I think if you felt more positive about the school, you'd be happier to support their decisions.

Well that is the thing the school has not been very good lately and its a subject i shall be bringing up at parents evening. My daughter is a very good girl never naughty in school but misses out on play and sumtimes other activties due to the minoritie in her class this has upset her deeply as she is v quiet hard working girl. So i suppose being angry over this issue is what is making me mad about holiday as its just another thing on the list

I do think you've been quite unlucky then. I know each school or LEA can have different policies but many a Year 4 child has had a 2 week authorised holiday at DS2's primary school. It's not something we've done personally because with DH's job it is always better for him to go in August anyway but, it certainly isn't uncommon here.

With regards to the Olympics, a special case could be made for families of the emergency services and armed forces as all leave is cancelled before, during and after AFAIK.

And, as a TA on a paltry salary, I can't go on holiday during term time nor pay the high prices during school holidays. We can usually afford a week or two camping so there is an alternative!

4days omg I know what a pain up the arse that school is.Hope your ok

OP, your DC might be ill on those four days. Just saying.

Thanku some of you for your positive comments , but as for the word truanting u can hardly say shes a truant for 4 days off out of the whole entire year. Yes i should have asked in advance but i didnt so was asking whether its unreasonable considering i told the school 8 weeks before the holiday. Its a sun holiday where u get to pick from so many dates u get sent back that are available-so in may not have got my chosen date that is why i waited as i may have got one of the other dates

Pumpkin, I understand your situation but it is undeniable that your child will technically be truant from school on those four days.

I wont be pretending she is ill because that will get me into trouble if the truancy officer comes out and i dont agree with lying as it leads you into further trouble and if my child got really ill id not forgive myself. Waiting to see if my letter is replyed to and c whether HM has changed his mind and if not i will take her off school for the holiday and b honest about it

I think taking her somewhere will benefit her hugely actually if schools letting her down.She has not been on a family holiday.We will have to try and do something together next year.Shame dp doesnt have the scooby van anymore

I think that's the best you can do, pumpkin.

Oh and sorry it took me soo long to get on.I lost my password and it was attached to my old email address that i also lost the password for so had to start again.Argh!

Next year im planning on coming to u, will have to start saving as soon as. It will b more expensive in summer half term but i wont b taking them out of school again too much hassle and its something ive never done b4 and will not repeat again. Best get to college & uni wen kids r grown so i cam afford these luxuries lol- problem is uni fees r sky high il b in debt forever

You need a a mini bus woman.We can meet half way then

Our school wouldn't approve term time holidays either but all it means is its marked down as unauthorised leave not authorised leave. You'll still be able to go.

Oh and a bit of advice.When you post anything on here get your hard hat ready

Probably get coach then train or just train. Guna cost a bomb but in want to come up to you for a change miss u biggins and da kids

Miss you and the girlies too.I think coach is cheaper but i think you would av to get off in London and change coaches.

If she takes time out of school for any reason, other than sickness, without the school's permission then she is truanting.

Education is compulsory, it is not optional.

It is also the principle that you are teaching her that it is ok to take time off from school/work whenever she feels like it.

I wouldn't have my child miss playtime for no one so that you should really complain about i remember the teacher giving me detention because of bitches disrupting class and still remember how upset it made me feel as i was shy good pupil type.Mum went mad haha bless her

Perhaps the school can't be seen to be allowing time off but in actual fact they won't do anything about it. I would take the risk.

You could even ask the teacher for the work they're doing that week so that your dd doesn't miss anything.

It's harsh imo and those on their high horses saying it's not educational and you should have checked first have almost certainly never been in your shoes and unable to afford a holiday except in term time. I think they must have missed the part about your child never having had a holiday, which I think alters your case hugely. I think the new blanket ruling is very unfair on those on low incomes.

My eldest child is nearly 30. When she was at primary school - pre-NC - this just was not an issue. There were no govt rules about it, no school attendance targets, the whole thing was at the HT's discretion, & our HT had a sensible & phlegmatic attitude to the whole idea of term-time holidays.

All my kids did well at school despite term-time holiday absences & without any request for staff to provide catch-up work, which I agree would be an imposition but really isn't necessary.

They all passed the entrance exam for the local grammar school; they even had some term-time holidays from there & still did very well in GCSEs & A levels. They never had the idea that school doesn't matter.

IMO these across-the-board rules are heavy-handed & unnecessary.

[fumes]

Thanku glaurang u see exactly where i am coming from

I guess you won't mind if the teacher takes 4 days off after Easter too then?

Why couldn't you go on holiday in the holiday?