Missing first 2 days of term year 13 ?

OhFortheLoveOv · 2025-05-18T15:09:44+00:00

So long story short, looking to go away over summer holidays, however the holiday we want returns 2 days after term starts. Our youngest is in year 13 at a sixth form college so it would mean they would miss two days of the first term back, we can potentially look at early dates but will be tricky for me and other half to get leave and the price for exact same holiday is over £1600 more expensive.. which is crazy. Missing 2 days is not ideal but not end of the world. They are getting good marks and predicted an and a* and we have no plans after this for holiday until A'levels are done… 2 days out is not to bad right??

Sirzy · 18/05/2025 16:11

I think the key consideration is how she feels about it. Is missing the start of the year going to make her panic and not enjoy the holiday?

PennywisePoundFoolish · 18/05/2025 16:18

The college probably won't be happy about it, as though you can't be fined etc, there will be a minimum attendance percentage to stay enrolled, and your young person will be starting the academic year with a low one. Obviously it will only improve, but I would expect some grumpiness from them.

DC2 attends 6th form at his school and they withdraw off-site privileges if attendance over attendance/lateness, though possibly a 6th Form college may be more relaxed.

I'd still book the holiday, but just be prepared for a negative response from them

user2848502016 · 18/05/2025 16:26

I think it’s fine from an education point of view, they won’t be getting stuck in properly the first two days. But as long as your DD is ok with it, missing introductions and timetables
etc.
Also college will probably not be happy.

Trailfinderexpress · 18/05/2025 16:29

For me it would be more about establishing friendship groups and settling in. It will set her on the back foot to miss the first two days. It’s not something I would have done but you know your daughter best to decide whether it will be a problem for her.

PansyPottering · 18/05/2025 16:35

Trailfinderexpress · 18/05/2025 16:29

For me it would be more about establishing friendship groups and settling in. It will set her on the back foot to miss the first two days. It’s not something I would have done but you know your daughter best to decide whether it will be a problem for her.

Friendship groups will be established by year thirteen though. My dd missed the first four days of year twelve because she was in hospital and it seemed like a massive thing at the time but once she started it was fine. In year thirteen she will have friends who can tell her the notes from the lesson.

Slippersandrum · 18/05/2025 16:52

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Original poster

OhFortheLoveOv · 18/05/2025 17:25

All good points. The college will likely not be happy but in reality I’d rather that then paying way over odds for week before because that is ludicrous.
I don’t think our daughter will be to fussed about missing a day or two she is more likely to be very “meh” about it and possible say she isn’t bothered about going away in first place as it means she is stuck with us for 10 days 😂

OP posts:

Ponderingwindow · 18/05/2025 17:31

No
the first two days are when they get critical information about how the course is going to run. You are setting up your child for failure.

your child is not in primary school. You can’t take a holiday for convenience and cost savings. Prioritize what matters which is education.

stichguru · 18/05/2025 17:31

As a TA in a college, how much will be different for her in Year 13 than year 12? Presuming that she's going back to the same college, classes, tutors, rooms, other students, it's not ideal but ok, for that saving just do it. If lots of things are changing, or she's going somewhere new, then don't do it because she'll miss key introductions.

PotteringAlonggotkickedoutandhadtoreregister · 18/05/2025 17:39

if you want to go away in term time you don’t take your year 13 child with you.

I would have a shorter holiday in the actual holidays and then go away without her in term time if you want to go away again.

slamdunk66 · 18/05/2025 18:07

As long as she’s ok then it’s fine. She’s not going to miss a lot of learning in 2 days.

PansyPottering · 18/05/2025 18:22

Ponderingwindow · 18/05/2025 17:31

No
the first two days are when they get critical information about how the course is going to run. You are setting up your child for failure.

your child is not in primary school. You can’t take a holiday for convenience and cost savings. Prioritize what matters which is education.

They do not spend two days more than halfway through your A levels telling them critical information on how the course is going to run. They tell them before they pick their A levels. They might even tell them at the beginning of their A levels. If they don’t know at the start of year thirteen how the course is structured they might as well not do A levels.

JaffavsCookie · 18/05/2025 18:24

In year 13 she could miss an awful lot or virtually nothing. This year the day y13 started back i had a double with my group, they had a double with their other teacher the following day, so 4 hours missed, and yes straight into content with y13, no course outlines etc, they know all that already.
Or my other group, had had no Biology lessons at all after the first 2 days of teaching.

User27563 · 18/05/2025 19:10

I'd leave it to her. One of my dd would hate this and refuse to miss any, the other would be happy to.

Cynic17 · 18/05/2025 19:13

No. The summer holidays are 6 weeks long, so you have plenty of time to organise your trip without impacting school.
And as Year 13, your young person really needs to learn that we can't always have holidays whenever we want.

Dearover · 18/05/2025 19:15

I think the standard contact time is 5 hours per week per subject . It wouldn't worry me at all and I'm normally a stickler for that kind of thing

Muchtoomuchtodo · 18/05/2025 19:18

I think in year 13, if they’re going to
miss any days those 2 are probably the least disruptive. I say that as the parent of a current year 12 child

midlifeattheoasis · 18/05/2025 19:42

Absolutely not. I wouldn't even be having to think about this.

Dearover · 18/05/2025 19:49

Will she definitely be due to start straight away? Year 12 starts first, then year 13 a few days later locally

RedSkyDelights · 18/05/2025 20:12

Muchtoomuchtodo · 18/05/2025 19:18

I think in year 13, if they’re going to
miss any days those 2 are probably the least disruptive. I say that as the parent of a current year 12 child

So you haven't actually had a child in Year 13 then? I think this will vary from setting to setting, but as the parent of 2 children who have recently finished sixth form, I'd say that missing the first two days are the most disruptive.

It's then that you get your timetable and meet any new teachers, get a lot of information about the structure of the year, particularly key dates for UCAS (if that's applicable, and you find out what new rules and routines have been put in place since last year. Plus the teachers set you a mass of work and set expectations for the term/year.

yes, you can find all these things out if you arrive 3 days late, but it would definitely throw off many children and take a while to get into the swing of things - when Year 13 of all years is the year that they absolutely hit the ground running; there's no nice "phasing them in gently" like there is in secondary school.

But it does depend how OP's DC feels. If she's not that fussed about going away in the first place, I'm not sure why OP doesn't just go away in term time.

Bigfatsunandclouds · 18/05/2025 20:23

It's 2 days!! Some of the pp are acting like you are taking her out for 2 weeks just before her alevels. Just do it OP, she's not going to miss anything critical in the first 2 days returning to year 13.

Muchtoomuchtodo · 18/05/2025 20:36

RedSkyDelights · 18/05/2025 20:12

So you haven't actually had a child in Year 13 then? I think this will vary from setting to setting, but as the parent of 2 children who have recently finished sixth form, I'd say that missing the first two days are the most disruptive.

It's then that you get your timetable and meet any new teachers, get a lot of information about the structure of the year, particularly key dates for UCAS (if that's applicable, and you find out what new rules and routines have been put in place since last year. Plus the teachers set you a mass of work and set expectations for the term/year.

yes, you can find all these things out if you arrive 3 days late, but it would definitely throw off many children and take a while to get into the swing of things - when Year 13 of all years is the year that they absolutely hit the ground running; there's no nice "phasing them in gently" like there is in secondary school.

But it does depend how OP's DC feels. If she's not that fussed about going away in the first place, I'm not sure why OP doesn't just go away in term time.

Show quote history

Current year 12 child is our second so we’re well versed in how the sixth form works.

onedayiwillbehappy · 18/05/2025 20:42

Our college has enrollement days for year 13 and they expect you turn up and wouldn’t be happy if you didn’t . You get your timetable etc But every college is different.

PansyPottering · 18/05/2025 20:45

RedSkyDelights · 18/05/2025 20:12

So you haven't actually had a child in Year 13 then? I think this will vary from setting to setting, but as the parent of 2 children who have recently finished sixth form, I'd say that missing the first two days are the most disruptive.

It's then that you get your timetable and meet any new teachers, get a lot of information about the structure of the year, particularly key dates for UCAS (if that's applicable, and you find out what new rules and routines have been put in place since last year. Plus the teachers set you a mass of work and set expectations for the term/year.

yes, you can find all these things out if you arrive 3 days late, but it would definitely throw off many children and take a while to get into the swing of things - when Year 13 of all years is the year that they absolutely hit the ground running; there's no nice "phasing them in gently" like there is in secondary school.

But it does depend how OP's DC feels. If she's not that fussed about going away in the first place, I'm not sure why OP doesn't just go away in term time.

Show quote history

Is this a sixth form college in the nineties with timetables being handed out and dates being put in diaries rather than accessible online?

PansyPottering · 18/05/2025 20:46

onedayiwillbehappy · 18/05/2025 20:42

Our college has enrollement days for year 13 and they expect you turn up and wouldn’t be happy if you didn’t . You get your timetable etc But every college is different.

Bit of a waste of everyone’s time to enrol again after a year. Do they lose a day of teaching for that of use an INSET?