Term Time holiday for 8 days to Disney - opinions?

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Hi,

We are looking at taking our nearly 5 year old to Disney next year for 15 days with the in-laws but are on a budget. There is an excellent package that we could afford next May but it would mean taking our daughter out of school (she will be in Reception year) for 8 days. We would back the trip on to May half-term holidays.

I realise that fine will be £60.00. My daughter is bright, sociable and we are conscientious parents who would help her catch up where she missed if possible.

I am struggling with the dilemma morally of whether to take her out or not, and would like to hear what other people thought who have had children in Reception year before (new to school processes etc. and not sure if it would be very frowned upon).

Many thanks

Absolutely. Go for it.

ask the school?

the fine isn't £60. it is £60 per parent per child so if there are two parents it will be £120. most LA's seem to be turning a bit of a blind eye to a week away. however, longer than a week and they can refer you to the absence officer at the LA or certainly that is what they do in my area. there is no moral dilemma here. she is your child. you need to make the decision. its not like she has exams or anything and personally I would do it as she will spend valuable time with her grandparents.

Our school fine for holidays of 5 days or more. However with Reception children it depends on when their birthday is, as they don't legally need to be in school if they are summer born babies.

Will she be 5 at the time of the holiday?
If not, she doesn't have to be in school anyway and you can legally defer until after she is 5z

Do your school refer absences to your local authority for fines and what is your local authorities policy on issuing fines? You should find out. Most go for 10 unauthorised sessions in a 10 week period is 1 week so you maybe caught. The school is unlikely to authorise you.

We went when the fines were not quite implemented, but still had to apply for authorisation - added ours onto the October holiday to get the Halloween stuff. Kids were 8 and 9 took them out for 6 actual school days.

We had thought through the moral dilemma thing for bloody months, but in the end had the time of our lives, and made sure that WE caught the kids up with school work before and after they went back to school.

We want to go again, but now they are at secondary the pace and relentless nature of work is soooo much higher, it will have to be in school holidays.