Term holidays again - views please

[auberginesrus]

Interested to hear others views/ experiences

Have emailed both ds's schools today to tell them they won't be in from next Weds until Tuesday as we're taking them to Glastonbury festival (I understand it won't be authorised but it's not like it's on in school hols and my opinion is that's it's an educational experience in many ways). Anyhow ds2's head has come back and said he can't authorise but as long as his attendance is over 90% for the year he thinks LEA won't fine us.

I worked out on a 190 day school year that's 19 days they could miss - not that I want to but would make it easier for us to take them out on Tues as well! Previously I was working on the assumption that as long as it was under a week we would probably be OK.

I don't know whether you'll get fined or not, but this is exactly why I hate the "no term time holidays" blanket rule. Glastonbury is one of the world's premier arts festivals and as you say, there is no chance to do it in school holidays. I completely understand why you'd want to take your children out of school to take part - what a fabulous opportunity for them - and yet the government says you're not allowed to!
That said, the best part of a week is quite a long time to be out of the classroom - it's a tricky one.
Some parents have been going for years and years and it's an important annual ritual for them.
Go and enjoy it this year, I say. Then you'll have two years "off" because it's not on, and in 2020 you can reconsider your position.
If it's that important for your family, who cares if you're fined?

"and my opinion is that's it's an educational experience in many ways"

Gets popcorn.

It is an educational experience. as someone who has been going for years, as a kid, before having my own and with my own, Glastonbury is so much more than you see on the news. The music is amazing but there is so much more to see and experience and it really cannot be replicated anywhere else.
Gutted not to get tickets this year.

Fines tend to be on holidays over 5 days not amount of attendance round here.

Think they count one day as 2 attendances so morning and afternoon, so 5 days equals 10 absences.

I struggle to see how Glastonbury can be compared as educational, but hey.

Up to your school and LA as to whether you'll be fined. We have some students going, not authorised, but they're only taking 3 days off school so it won't meet the criteria for a PN, unless they have another unauthorised day within 10 weeks.

We are taking dd1 out for 10 days in December and I can't find anything regarding what the fine will be (as I know it won't be authorised and 10 days is a long time)

I nearly started a thread asking about this £60 per parent per day that gets bandied around on MN but couldn't be arsed with the aggression I'd undoubtedly get.

Sometimes some things are more important than school. I'm going home for Christmas for the first time in 8 years. My dd's are going to experience an antipodean Christmas for the first time.