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Original poster

Holidays in school time

251 replies

nutcracker · 30/12/2003 23:33

Did anyone know that if you take your child on holiday in school time then you can now be fined ???????????? Personally i think it's ridiculous, I have only ever taken dd1 out of school for holiday once but i asked for books and worksheets for her to do. What do you think ????

OP posts:
zebra · 04/01/2004 10:32

There will always be subjects at school that some of us do poorly at, often in a public way; I used to get terribly teased because I couldn't sing on key, and the teachers demanded that everybody try to sing, no matter how badly.

Jimjams · 04/01/2004 10:39

agree with SueW- sounds a good opportunity- and I'm sure mosty schools would recognise that.

I do think there is a big difference here. Say a parent approaches the school and asks to take the kids out for a term to sail round loads of islands somewhere. I would imagine most schools would be helpful and would see that as a great learning opportunity, and would probably be happy to provide work. I would also imagine the parents would be motivated to ensaure their children learned from the experience. Everyone gains.

However if someone (eg m2t's dad) takes their child out every year for 2 weeks without considering how it will affect their exam results then they can't really blame the teachers if little Johnny's doesn't get a full set of A*'s and can no longer be a brain surgeon.

hmb · 04/01/2004 10:40

An excellent summary Jimjams. Well put!

popsycal · 04/01/2004 16:26

phew - i am glad that I have been away for afew days

maryz · 04/01/2004 16:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hmb · 04/01/2004 16:48

Where are you living Mary? And how old is dd2? What I posted are the National Curriculum requirements for Physical education in the UK for KS3, so kids 11-14 years old.

maryz · 04/01/2004 16:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Jimjams · 04/01/2004 18:55

We used to get quite a lot of that at the tutorial college hmb. Parent would be paying shed loads of money and would be very upset when little Johnny didn't get all A's at A level (retakes). Except little Johnny never did any homework or turn up to class. We were there to help- not perform miracles.

Easy answer though- we used to split on the "kids" (they were 19) as soon as they missed a class- and reports were very honest. No-one could say ma and pa weren't warned! (This was a minority- most worked very hard and most did very well- its just the ones who didn't always seemed t have the parents who blamed everyone else!)

popsycal · 07/01/2004 20:12

With great anxiety, I am about to post again on this thread.
This topic in the news has obviuosly made some people think. Already this term (2 days in), we have received 31 letters from parents asking permission to take kids on holiday in school time - some for as far ahead as September.
Don't want to get in to the whole debate again, but it has made parents at least let schools know and check about dates.
Our headteacher is saying yes to most btw....

zebra · 07/01/2004 20:13

31 parents out of how many pupils? I assume that is for the whole school?

popsycal · 07/01/2004 20:14

erm 180 x 4
do the maths.......my brain has died.....
720???
a big school.....

jac34 · 07/01/2004 20:30

We just put in our request for May, thought we had better do it ASAP.
We are tagging a week onto the late May Bank Holiday, plus they have an inset day the first day as well, so they'll be missing 4 days altogether.
As well as it being a holiday we'll also be visiting family.

hmb · 07/01/2004 20:31

Since someone else has re-awoken this thread (and I was too scared ), I do have a bit of news to post. Today we got some results back from our modular examinations. These are externaly marked and go towards the pupils GCSE results. So these are not just tests, they are important. To get a C grade a child has to svore 12 out of 20. 10 out of twenty will get a D. The only child to get a D in that class was one of two taken out of school in the two weeks just before the modular examination. I am convinced that if he had sat in the two lessons where we did extensive revision and prepared for the examination he would have got his C grade. His parents choice but his loss.

Hulababy · 07/01/2004 20:44

Good example of holidays in term time for me too today.

Year 12 (sixth form) GNVQ student on a one year ICT course is going on holiday tomorrow apparantly. She has not told school. I found out from her friend. The girl involved wasn't in today either as she had a dentist appointment (all day???). Next week this class have TWO exams. These are essential to the course and for both exams all of last term's work is used towards it (20% practical, 80% exam). If they fail either of the exams they will not pass the whole course unles they resit in May. This girl's attitude is "well, I can just sit them in May instead". This girl may fail them - she s not a high flier - then what? A year wasted for a holiday.

Moomin · 07/01/2004 21:07

Haven't had time to read whole thread so forgive me if I'm repeating a point, BUT - it seems to me that many of the parents who can't see the problem with taking their children out of scholl for holidays (even if they believe it's of educational value) don't have an accurate up-to-date knowledge of the curriculum constraints for either primary or secondary.

Lots of comments on this thread relate to when posters were at school and taken out for hols, but the curriculum for all ages has changed beyond all recognition since then. I think it was hmb who outlined in the other thread each part of the science modular gcse and how these fitted into lessons - well, the same applies to most gcse subjects.Although I'm a secondary teacher, I would say that the primary curriculum with the literacy and numeracy strategies being taught so rigidly in order to fit it all in are a nightmare to implement if children miss a number of lessons.

BTW, I don't think fining is the answer. But I do think the curriculum holds problems for kids who are ill too.

JanH · 08/01/2004 09:18

Presumably teachers would be happy to provide work for a child who was sick though?

However. A friend of DS1's in Y11 - high-flier, deputy Head Boy, desperately conscientious - has had glandular fever since Boxing Day. DS1 and DH popped round to see him after football training last night, about 8pm, he was in bed and is still completely flat out. I'm really worried about him now, considering all the secondary teachers' posts here about keeping up - if he does try, will it stop him recovering? He's not a very robust boy at the best of times. But if he doesn't try, will he be able to catch up when he's stronger?

Hulababy · 08/01/2004 09:29

Schools would provide work for a child off school sick. That is a different situation which cannot be helped, unlike the majority of holidays taken by pupils in term time. I doubt any teacher would be unwilling or unable to provide work for a sick pupil. Even I manage it to an extent despite teaching an almost entirely practical subject - ICT.

hmb · 08/01/2004 16:38

Schools will provide work for children who are ill. This is done as a matter of routine in our school. Work is also providid for children who are on long term exclusion (longer than a week)

mears · 09/01/2004 14:05

We are taking our 4 children on holiday the last 2 weeks of June. In Scotland the term ends on 25th June so they will not be missing very much. My DH has rostered holidays so takes them when he is told. Only 2 years out of 5 year rota are his holidays within the school summer holidays. I know that I have a valid excuse but we have to provide a letter from DH's employer to prove this is the case. That makes me absolutely mad.
Last year, after a lot of shift swaps, we went on holiday in October because DH's holidays were in September and I wouldn't have wanted to take the kids out then.
Up until last year I have never taken my kids out of school and they have attended to the very last day. However, I am sick and tired of them coming home moaning about being there as all they did was watch vidoes. I think the least the school can do is provide some kind of incentive for children actually to attend till the last day.

codswallop · 09/01/2004 14:10

i have just had an e mail from the head of ours

It seems we are goung to not alow any hoiday at all as authorised and damn the stats!

I suggested making parents apply at full governors meetings and have to sit through 2 hrs of tedium to be able to make a case.

some of our parents have done it twice (taken hol) and the amount of time is stunning.

agree about vids tho mears. altho its very hard trying to make kids work till the last day - demob happy I am afrid

codswallop · 09/01/2004 14:11

these are her stats

"(Last year 65 holidays were taken accounting for 526 school sessions. This is greater than 1% of school time and equates to 50% of pupils"

Original poster
nutcracker · 09/01/2004 14:12

CODDY - Is it true that you used to teach history at Great Barr School ??

OP posts:
codswallop · 09/01/2004 14:15

ahem.... why?

codswallop · 09/01/2004 14:16

I didnt teach you did I?

codswallop · 09/01/2004 14:22

gotta go out now...