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Parenting

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Original poster

Taking children out of school for 3 weeks

157 replies

Goodtimesagain · 19/06/2019 13:29

I am getting married the last weekend in August next year and would like to take our children on honeymoon with us late September for three weeks, has anybody taken their children out of school for this long before? I appreciate I will have to pay a fine, just wondering if the consequences could be worse? I just want to hear other people’s experiences of taking children out of school for this long...

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Wolfiefan · 19/06/2019 13:33

How old are your kids? What’s their attendance like?

Finfintytint · 19/06/2019 13:34

Doesn’t really answer your question but we had our honeymoon in August before marrying in late August as I couldn’t take term time.
It’s not very traditional though but worked for us!

Maryann1975 · 19/06/2019 13:36

I don’t know about the official consequences of an absence, but I think 3 weeks is a really long time for them to be out of school for a holiday.

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NerrSnerr · 19/06/2019 13:36

How old are the children? Three weeks of education is a lot to miss, how do you propose that they catch up?

Alwaysgrey · 19/06/2019 13:36

Depends on their ages but I do feel for the teachers who have to help the kids who may need to play catch up as they’ve been away.

hormonesorDHbeingadick · 19/06/2019 13:37

Three weeks at the beginning of the year is a lot of they will miss a lot of the settling in and expectations.

What year will they be going into?

Musicalstatues · 19/06/2019 13:39

Totally depends on their ages I think. Plus at the end of September they will only have just started school again after the holidays.

We took ds out of year 2 for 2 weeks (authorised by the school) and will be doing the same next year when he’ll be in year 4 and youngest in year 1.

I think 3 weeks is a very long time though, 2 would be my limit at any age.

ourkidmolly · 19/06/2019 13:47

I think that will be very tricky. How old are they? The school may want to take them off roll. That's going to have a massive effect on their attendance figures for the year. Is the decision financial?

Original poster

Goodtimesagain · 19/06/2019 13:48

They will be in year 8, year 3 (both years don’t have exams to be taken) and year 6 (he would have his sats in May). Yer we booked our wedding for when we could get the venue, which means we have to have the honeymoon after.

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Original poster

Goodtimesagain · 19/06/2019 13:49

No the decision isn’t financial at all though, it’s just the timing. Also some places are just too hot to travel to and enjoy with children in August, even if the timing wasn’t off.

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NerrSnerr · 19/06/2019 13:50

You don't 'have' to have a 3 week honeymoon with your children. You could take a week at half term, 2 weeks at Christmas or Easter or wait for next summer. It's something you want to do but you'll have to accept it'll be detrimental to their education.

Ribeebie · 19/06/2019 13:50

I think 3 weeks is an awful long time to be out of school. In addition to their work and attendance in general that's a key time of year for forming friendships etc in a new class.

Happyspud · 19/06/2019 13:51

No, I don’t think it’s reasonable. Hold off the honeymoon till the next summer. Or go for a week if you must. You really don’t have to do this, it’s just that you want to. And it’s not great for 3 kids, presumedly with different educational and friendship needs to miss 3 weeks of school at the beginning of the school year to go on their parents honeymoon.

Caspianberg · 19/06/2019 13:54

Can you not go in the holidays? I would go over october half term when they have at least one week off,and you could take them out an extra week before. Or over xmas when most have 2 weeks off, and take 1 week extra before. Either way, you can then have 2-3 week break with only 5 days off school.

Friolero · 19/06/2019 13:54

Three weeks is an awful lot of school to miss, especially that early in the school year. I wouldn't do it.

MrsBlondie · 19/06/2019 13:54

I wouldn't do it. 3 weeks is way too much time to miss at school. How will they catch up?

Original poster

Goodtimesagain · 19/06/2019 13:55

I never said I ‘had’ to! I asked who else had done it and what the consequences were. My children are bright well rounded children so I don’t worry about them catching up. When you go long haul three weeks doesn’t seem so long. Unfortunately age isn’t on my side and we would like to crack on having a child between me and my other half, so waiting a year just isn’t an option. It’s whether we go for two or three weeks really! I just wonder other people’s experiences of it.

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NotSoThinLizzy · 19/06/2019 13:55

Depends on the school really, some schools are very strict on this and some dont really care. If you ask teachers to put some work together for them to do while away then they won't be so far behind when you come back. If they have good attendance anyways and it's a one off I dont really see a problem.

MrsRolly · 19/06/2019 13:57

At my daughters schools they move into new tutors for year 8 -11 there is no way she would be comfortable with missing the first three weeks of term. Plus she would have three weeks of catch up to do so maybe worth checking the secondary policy. At ours even if off for one day poorly or absent they have to go around to teachers to get catch up. The younger ones I wouldn't worry too much about but I would definitely discuss with my one in secondary and assuming as you said next yesterday they are only going up this September. Year 7 can be a huge transition year so even if now they say yes it could cause serious anxiety for them when it comes to it.
Hope you can make it work and congrats on getting married :)

Original poster

Goodtimesagain · 19/06/2019 13:59

I am in Dorset and no idea if the council is strict or not, I wonder if anyone else knows? This would be a once in a lifetime thing, as honeymoons should be!

OP posts:

NerrSnerr · 19/06/2019 14:00

You said 'we have to have the honeymoon after'.

If you don't want a honeymoon next summer then why not have a couple of weeks at Christmas or half term so they miss less school?

MrsBlondie · 19/06/2019 14:00

Year 6 and Year 8 absolutely no way. I would do 2 weeks timed with one week over half term as an absolute maximum. I wouldn't even do that personally.

Original poster

Goodtimesagain · 19/06/2019 14:01

Thanks!! I agree the first three weeks wouldn’t be fair on the children at all. The wedding is the last weekend in August, then we were going to wait three weeks for the dust to settle and go on honeymoon the last week off September, so they should of been back to school for two and a big weeks first!

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Wolfiefan · 19/06/2019 14:07

That’s not a lot of time to settle back in. They would miss an awful lot. Y2 I might take a couple of weeks. Y8? Not a chance.
I would wait for the honeymoon or go without the kids if they can stay with a family member. You don’t need a long haul three week honeymoon. And how exactly do you think they will magically catch up on 15 missed days?

continuallychargingmyphone · 19/06/2019 14:10

I would not go without the children for three weeks: that’s far too long.

Definitely don’t create more work for the teachers by asking for work for them to do.

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