Have you or would you take you dc on holiday during term time ?

[idontlike789]

And if so what happened?

I'm looking at holidays for next summer , I've seen a lovely holiday quite reasonably price ( free child place ) problem is it would mean taking dc out of school for 5 days .
Years ago when my dc were quite young you were allowed to take dc out of school for 2 weeks . I would maybe take out of school for 2-3 days near the holidays . Dc always had good attendance hardly ill .
Of course when it changed I took dc on holiday during the holidays.
This holiday looks amazing and tbh I can't afford it in the holidays the price doubles .
I'm really tempted but would it be wrong ? My dc goes to a special needs school so no exams to do although I realise that's not the point he should be in school . I fully support that dc should be in school and if I'm fined I'll happily pay as it's just to good a deal.

Mines still a baby but we have vague plans for a trip to the States which would take about 3 weeks and wouldn't be practical in the summer holidays. We will probably try to time it so at least one of the weeks is holiday (a lot of the schools here insist on scheduling holidays at odd times ) and just pay the fines.

I did it when dd was in reception. You may be fined op so be prepared for this. I think it sounds fine x

Only for things tied to certain dates eg weddings or choir tour.

School is important. Speak to the school for specific advice as they (well we!) are paying for his school place and additional support!

Yes done it all the way though at different points. Even took youngest out in year 11. Didn’t affect her gces still came out with 8 and 7s

Both my and oh job makes school holidays impossible.

Now in Year 12 and will miss the last week of term as going on a special holiday this year but taken massive juggling at our end to go in July. And after year 11 they can’t be fined.

I took my ds out for 4 days while he was in reception. We had been offered a spare room in a chalet for free and since he was under 5, he wasn’t legally required to be in school anyway.
I explained it all to the head, she said she couldn’t approve it but hoped we had a lovely time. I didn’t receive a fine.

We are considering this next year as well. Have never taken them out before but holiday will be literally half the price and will also be much quieter. Neither dc are in exam years and both have really high attendance.

Yep, have done this year (dd in reception and not yet 5 so no fine) and will do again, will just factor the fine into the cost of the holiday. So long as dc are bright enough and motivated while at school I think it's fine. And I was a teacher for 12 years! (Doing my 'I just quit for good' happy dance in my head, but that's another thread!)

Yes, I took dd1 out for 9 days as we were going to Aus for Christmas and I wanted 3 weeks there and dh had to be back in work early Jan.

No fine even though it wasn't authorised.

Would also take out for odd days for family things. I think there is more to education than perfect attendance.

Is it just one Dc you would have out if school?

If it is not an exam year, and not the first week of a new term then I would consider it.

No I wouldn't. If I did though I'd be honest and say and pay the fine. Imagine how much your DCs place at specialist costs, it doesn't sit right with me to then take them out.

I did in reception and year 1 before fines. I now work term time so not an option but now in high school so wouldn’t.

I took the kids out for 9 days. My ds got a fine even though other than that he always has 100% attendance. Dsd on the other hand who has awful attendance did not receive a fine. Same council but different schools, really strange how they do it.

Many schools are realistic about this issue.
Ask them about their policy on permissions and fines. It is very common to be told that the school won’t give permission but that they don’t do fines.

I took mine out for 5 days last year and got no fine. I'm taking them out in June for 5 days again. If I get a fine I'll pay it, still cheaper altogether.

Years ago when my dc were quite young you were allowed to take dc out of school for 2 weeks

No, years ago head teachers were permitted to authorise up to ten days term-time absence.

This was taken advantage of by so many families, who assumed this was their annual per-child entitlement, that the guidance was changed so that only absences in “exceptional circumstances” were permitted. Blame the CF parents for the loss of your “entitlement”.

Also if they wouldn’t be missing some major highlight they had been working towards all term like a show or concert.

Yes in dd’s First year of school before I went back to work. I am a teacher also now though so we can’t do it anymore 😭

We've done this lots of times, taking DS out of school a few days early before half term as the holidays are so much cheaper.
I always put in a holiday request which always gets turned down but never been fined.
DS has severe autism/adhd and really benefits from his holidays so I don't worry too much. He's in primary and the last few days before holidays tend to be fun days - watching movies, lots of sports etc so I don't feel he's missing out too much.

“Imagine how much your DCs place at specialist costs, it doesn't sit right with me to then take them out.” Really unfair. The basis of equal opportunity provision is not so that anyone who needs special provision should feel differently to anyone else or be ‘grateful’ and subject to guilt trip!

Yes I have and was clear with school my reasons, often even with a fine it's still cheaper I think and the value of the trip was huge for our family x

We are taking DC to Lapland in December. They will be year 2 and will miss Friday and Monday.

Some friends want us to go away with them next year but they have different school holiday to us. Considering taking DC out of school for a week but not sure if we will. I think because we have other options.

If we couldn’t go at any other time or couldn’t afford it then we would take them out. That’s why we’re taking them out for Lapland - it’s the only way we could get three nights there. DC hasn’t been ill (touch wood!) since he started school and he is progressing as expected so I don’t feel guilty

Took DD5 out for 4 days earlier this year. Head couldn't approve it but had a meeting with us and was lovely about it. We haven't had a fine but her attendance record was 100% beforehand for the year. I don't think we'll make a habit of it as we can stay at DF's house in a European county for cost of flights and some food.

It'd interesting different opinions ,
It's just 1 dc as my other dc is at uni .
It doesn't sit right with me really, and I never felt I was entitled to authorised absence. I requested 2-4 days in the past some years ago now and was approved. I do think some discretion and common sense should be used but I can understand that no holidays are authorised. Perhaps it was due to too many people thinking they were entitled to 2 weeks off a year . I do remember a girl I worked with once who took dc out of school in October then again late summer , she assumed as it was a new year not a school year it would be ok .
I'm going to go ahead with taking him out he will be too old for a free child place soon so if we go away again will be full adult cost .
I'm not usually one for braking the rules but it's the cost has overruled me.