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Original poster

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

OP posts:
Original poster
pumpkinsweetie · 15/03/2012 00:26

That is lunacy calamity, wonder how more the goverment can be in control by the end of this year! worrying isnt it ! Bet disposable nappies will be banned and babymilk

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CalamityKate · 15/03/2012 09:13

Actually - it wasn't 3 hours early, was it. Since they have lunch from 12 - 1, and they finish at 3.15, it was TWO AND A QUARTER hours of watching DVDs school they'd have missed.

ByTheWay1 · 15/03/2012 09:53

It is not lunacy though is it - really- if we could all just take time whenever we wanted, schools would be fighting a losing battle.... oh hang on, may that be what is happening?!...

Perhaps the more stringent rules are to try and stop some of the chaos....

All the school is doing is saying they will not AUTHORISE your absence... you can still go, but then your absence gets called what it truly is - TRUANCY..

Oh, and yes, mine have had time out for a holiday - I had it authorised, but would still have gone if not authorised..

I see no difference with kids bunking off to go down the beach and kids doing the same on holiday......

justalittleinsane · 15/03/2012 10:06

actually if you diarise it and with the schools agreement, do undertake educational activities, then it can be classed as being educated off site, under flexi schooling arrangements, it doesnt HAVE to be unauthorised abscence at all.

If being on holiday isnt educational, how come they have trips to Spain, Rugby tours in school terms (as long as they are school ones), and so on and so forth.

HavePatience · 15/03/2012 10:16

I am a teacher (independent school, so may be different and I'm home today with ill DS) and have no problem with parents doing this occasionally.

They don't ask permission, they let us know when they will be out. And this is accepted. Everyone is sensible about it. :). N

I send a small packet of work that they can do If away for a whole week or two (obviously they will miss the instruction and hands on, but I can catch them up on their return). I also do not teach an enormous class of 30 students (I know it's normal, it just seems enormous to me) so it might be easier for me to do this.

Original poster
pumpkinsweetie · 15/03/2012 10:18

The thing is why should i be penilised for others lax time keeping. If MY children attend the vast majority of the year and others that attend the vast majority of the year should get a bit of lenecy. There are alot of parents that let their kids get away with far too much truancy and that is why the goverment came up with this idea- but it should be those type of parents that are punished shouldnt it. Im worried about being fined thats why i posted on here

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seeker · 15/03/2012 10:21

You're not penalised being penalized.The school is applying the rules. Term time holidays are not allowed except in very exceptional circumstances in most schools.

ByTheWay1 · 15/03/2012 10:26

You sound very "entitled" pumpkin..... why on earth should the rules not apply across the board - YOU WILL BE contributing to the truancy rate at your school by taking them out in term time - YOU WILL BE one of "those type of parents". You are not being penalised, merely treated the SAME as anyone else.

HavePatience · 15/03/2012 10:26

Unless you're from the US, seeker Wink

HavePatience · 15/03/2012 10:28

Blush oops sorry I misread your post. Actually, I think I'm still misreading...

Northey · 15/03/2012 10:30

Also, I may be wrong, but I think attendance rates are also affected by things like children being away for operations etc. So it may well not be truanting behaviour which is solely to blame for your school's statistics, but, for example, a child with a debilitating and long term illness, requiring frequent hospitalisation.

Original poster
pumpkinsweetie · 15/03/2012 10:48

I can spell it the way i wanna spell it this isnt about grammer its about the subject! And in my area there are a lot of rough parents who allow their kids to play truant just coz they dont wanna get up early-i know this as iv heard people say it outside the school gates. Whether i feel i should be entititled or not it is only 4 days-if i was asking for 7 days then yes it would be wrong

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Original poster
pumpkinsweetie · 15/03/2012 10:53

'One of those types of parents' i DO NOT think so!! U know nothing of my life and what it involves dont be so rude. Its the ONLY holiday she will have ever had and has only ever been off due to be being ill so no i wouldnt say im that type-the type that lets their kids off school for their birthday, coz they r too lazy to get kids to school etc the list goes on and no i dont do this

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seeker · 15/03/2012 11:04

Sorry- I didn't mean to make any points about spelling- hope it didn't look as if I was. Blame auto correct and me not previewing!

Pumpkin sweetie- I think you should stop looking at what other people are doing. Just because they are even worse doesn't mean that what you're doing is OK!

justalittleinsane · 15/03/2012 11:17

Yes attendance rates can be affected by operations.

I havea friend whose daughter nearly died in an accident - and she was receiving letters about attendance rates - it was appalling.

ByTheWay1 · 15/03/2012 11:22

pumpkin... I was merely using a phrase you yourself had used to describe others - whose circumstances you know nothing about.....

and to echo seeker - just because others do wrong it does not mean what you are doing is right.

Frankly, I don't care if you take your kids out for 4 days - or 7 or 10.... that is up to you, but you need to accept that there is a possibility of being fined for it, and the fine will be the same for you as for "those types of parents" because unauthorised absence is unauthorised absence.

butilikesalt · 15/03/2012 12:01

There's nothing wrong with taking 4 days off for a holiday. Nothing even slightly wrong. You ARE entitled to it. Your DC are entitled to take their first ever holiday.

And there's a huge difference between a child bunking off down the beach without the knowledge of parent or school, and a child whose holiday time has been organised, supervised and above all authorised by the parent.

Original poster
pumpkinsweetie · 15/03/2012 12:11

If u frankly dont care dont reply to thread

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ByTheWay1 · 15/03/2012 14:27

fine - going away now... but maybe you should not ask what "everyone thinks" if you only want replies that agree with you..

seeker · 15/03/2012 14:50

"You ARE entitled to it" No, you aren't.

Blu · 15/03/2012 15:00

Pumpkin - the problem is that the school don't make individual decisions based on each child. They have a list of circumstances under which they can grant 'authorised absence' and anything else, which includes holidays no matter what the child's attendance record, is unauthorised.

It's not about you or your dd's good attendance record, it's about what absence is allowed for. Go, it will be put down as unauthorised, and keep your fingers crossed that they don't fine you.

Original poster
pumpkinsweetie · 15/03/2012 15:01

I was interested to know what people thawt that is all. But to say you frankly dont care means u dont care so why comment Grin

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Original poster
pumpkinsweetie · 15/03/2012 15:03

Thanku blu, u speak common sense without being bitch thanku its nice to know sum of u are human x

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yousankmybattleship · 15/03/2012 17:01

Pumpkin - I really don't undrstand why you started this thread as you seem determined to ignore anything that anyone says if it doesn't fit your very narrow minded view. The trouble with starting a debate is that people will give their opinions and these may differ from yours. I happen to think education is important. I also understand that it is impossible for teachers to teach effectively if they constantly have children missing from their class. Yes, holidays are fun and nice to have but they are not essential. School is compulsory and you do not have any right to remove your children just so you can go on a cheapy holiday. Your head has told you as much and I really don't see that you have any reason to feel agrieved.

BIWI · 15/03/2012 17:53

You seem determined to be affronted as well, even though many people have pointed out why you are in the wrong!

As it's obviously so important to you, then go. But don't be surprised if you are fined.

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