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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

A short 4 day holiday has not been authorised!!

184 replies

pumpkinsweetie · 14/03/2012 16:34

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

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Rubygloom · 14/03/2012 23:37

Just be careful.I would't want you getting into trouble for it Sad

pumpkinsweetie · 14/03/2012 23:37

It aint march its end of april by that time we should have sunshineSmile

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butilikesalt · 14/03/2012 23:39

I don't think it matters which days the OP chose. It's four days. It really does not matter, not one tiny bit.

SaraSidle · 14/03/2012 23:39

Why not go over Easter? It's where? Haven? Cheap enough

Rubygloom · 14/03/2012 23:41

I was a bit mean when i said camping pfft but honestly you would not want to camp near to where my sis lives.If she lived here she would have Devon Cornwall which are lovely places.So i apologise

pumpkinsweetie · 14/03/2012 23:41

I wont dear rubygloom as my kids have good attendence, she even has a certificate so cant c me getting into too much trouble- the 2% she did have off was for winter vomiting virus caught from the school so cant see there being much of a fine and if so il pay in mini installements of 2:50p a week

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justalittleinsane · 14/03/2012 23:44

parkview IME, and I know a fair few, teachers cant wait to get out of the door at the end of the summer term, and dont head back until they have to, just before autumn starts.

I think thats because I am slightly older - and my friends have lost the initial "enthusiasm" that goes with younger teachers.

I did have one friend who did as you say, and went in in hols, etc, she ended up having a breakdown and left the profession completely, went back to the job she did before she went to university.

pumpkinsweetie · 14/03/2012 23:45

Four days ud think id murdered sum1- wait there the goverment allows more lenacy with that dont lol- our laws our all the wrong way round. Let me think...... to teacher a question- could i be arrested for letting my child have four days off? im being serious u know what this country is like!

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justalittleinsane · 14/03/2012 23:49

pumpkin I think there are just different parenting styles, those who believe an academic education is all important as it teaches - well acedemia and also that you need to adhere to rules, those who believe the rules are bollix, simply invented by a nanny state that wants to increasingly dictate our lives, and those that want to have fun with our children, in a way that suits us, while they are still young enough to want to.

If I thought there was any validity to the govt attendance requirements, then I may listen, but I have travelled a lot, and I know it achieves as much as formal education did.

I know those times with my family helped to bond us together.

butilikesalt · 14/03/2012 23:49

You will not be arrested! The only thing you'll need to fear is the sort of sanctimonious judginess you've encountered on here. But that's easily ignored, so ignore it.

justalittleinsane · 14/03/2012 23:51

If it makes you feel any better, my DC will be missing the first 2 weeks of reception so I can take a holiday with them - I am far more evil than you!

butilikesalt · 14/03/2012 23:52

Well, justalittleinsane, no Russell Group universities for yours! Grin

pumpkinsweetie · 14/03/2012 23:53

Thanks buttlikesalt and justalittleinsane, i will rest easy nowSmile and have a great time. Some teachers are just as scary now as when i was little but others are lovely and genuinely care about the pupils needs aswell as educational so thanku all teachers on this thread that spoke sense not out of beuracy Smile

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pumpkinsweetie · 14/03/2012 23:54

Lol lets be evil

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Ponders · 14/03/2012 23:58

mine all went to RG universities

despite having term-time holidays

so there Grin

WetAugust · 14/03/2012 23:59

I'd refuse to pay a fine if they tried that on.

A fine is a penalty which should only be imposed by the judiciary after you've had the opportunity for a fair hearing.

Fines imposed by schools are the same as fixed penalty tickets - those imposing them have never tested it in Court because they know it would probably not be upheld.

justalittleinsane · 15/03/2012 00:00

I think I'll live without the Russell Group Uni Grin.

Honestly, there is nothing they learn until they start their GCSE courses, that cant be taught, by a parent, if the school is willing to learn.

Do I think a 4 year old, who doesnt legally have to even be in school, is going to fall behind his peers by going on holiday for 2 weeks with me, um well NO, is the answer to that, ditto to 6, 8 or 11.

Last time I looked, they are my children and I will parent them in the (slightly alternative) was that I think is best for them, and not in a manner that suits some random government statistic, designed to penalise us all, for the behaviour of a few.

butilikesalt · 15/03/2012 00:01

I went to an RG too and my parents were term-time holiday junkies. Four days in junior school. I seriously cannot fathom anyone thinking this is an issue.

justalittleinsane · 15/03/2012 00:01

if the school is willing to oblige (not learn)

pumpkinsweetie · 15/03/2012 00:11

Thats the thing im sick of all this statisacal malarky its pointless and normally penilise the good people of society! If ur kids are a 1lb overweight u get a letter home, if they have a lemon mousse in their lunch u get told off, the school wont put a plaster on wen kids are injured, they cant console a child when upset, they cant wear tiny studs under tape in pe anymore etc the list goes on and its all down to the nanny state and health and saftey bolony thats gone way overboard. Im in my early twenties and i dont rememba all this plop wen i was at school not so long ago and we all survived and passed exams

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LadyWidmerpool · 15/03/2012 00:14

I think your problem is with the holiday companies.

If everyone went on holiday in term time then the prices would shoot up!

pumpkinsweetie · 15/03/2012 00:16

Well they are also at fault too but hey ho that will never change theres too much money to be made in half term for them to change that

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justalittleinsane · 15/03/2012 00:18

No the problem is not the holiday companies, thats simply a case of supply and demand. They are a business, take a caravan site that charges 20k (euros) fees for a 7 month season, they are going to charge the most when people will pay the most.

The problem is a govt that increasingly wants to control every aspect of our lives. This is just one example.

CalamityKate · 15/03/2012 00:18

Hah! I can top that!

Last year, on the LAST DAY BEFORE THE 6 WEEK HOLIDAY, we wanted to take the boys out of school at lunchtime. Taking into account lunch, that would mean taking them out 3 HOURS early.

On the last day of school. When they do nothing but play games/watch DVD's. Three hours early. Three HOURS.

School said no.

justalittleinsane · 15/03/2012 00:19

calamity thats just insane!