Holidays with School age children

[JC17fj74]

Up until now we've been enjoying being able to go on 2/3 abroad holidays a year with DD who will be 4 in May and starting school this September.
How does everyone take their children on Holiday when they reach school age?
Pay the increased prices for school holidays?
Take them out?
Request for a holiday from the school?
The dates I've looked at for next year I can get a week over a school holiday but it over Laos by a few days so flight times would mean he misses the first two days when they go back.
Any experience on how the schools work, how and when you get fined etc would be a great help.
Thanks!

My LO starts school in September, doesn’t even cross my mind to think we can still enjoy travel in school time. It’s rubbish but it is what it is. If you book a year or so ahead the prices aren’t as bad, ie. the place we went to last May is the same price for august 2022.
If you already afford multiple holidays maybe now you just have 1

Your child will have 13 weeks holiday a year. You prioritise their education and take breaks during school holidays. Yes it costs more.

No I would not take my child out of school for holidays. You go on their breaks and pay the extra. I feel pretty firm about this - we did miss one day as my family live in the US and Easter is not a holiday so it was either fly back Easter Sunday to get back for school Tuesday (overnight flight) or fly out Monday and miss Tuesday. The headmaster gave me a stern lecture but did allow it as my mother was unwell and Easter an important holiday for her.
I believe it depends on the school whether you get an authorised absence, but this usually only covers things like funerals etc. You will otherwise be fined. I know plenty of people who do it though, and I do judge them.

I think on the whole you make holidays work around school terms and pay the extra money; as a lot of holidays run Saturday to Saturday that’s normally not a problem. I’m not against taking children out fo school for a special holiday or something that can’t be in the holidays (like a family wedding) but to do it regularly just for a normal holiday sets a precedent to a child that school isn’t important and school are unlikely to keep agreeing to it

While my kids are primary school age I take them out for a week most years. Not paying double prices during school holidays. I've had to pay a fine once.

On the whole we have travelled in school holidays and paid the extra.

I wouldn’t take them out for a holiday cottage in the Uk or even a European all inclusive. For a big once in a lifetime holiday id take them out an pay the fine.

My boss took his kids to Indonesia, both parents got fined £60 per child totalling £240 and he saved £4K on the holiday. They’re primary school age. It’s a ball ache for the teacher but an enriching experience for the kids.

It’s a ball ache for the teacher but an enriching experience for the kid how vile towards teachers. Let’s be honest it’s not enriching it’s cheaper that’s all it is. Quite frankly if you want to be able to travel at the drop of a hat then don’t have children

We always go on holiday during the school holidays. My ds hates missing school.

@Incrediblytired

I wouldn’t take them out for a holiday cottage in the Uk or even a European all inclusive. For a big once in a lifetime holiday id take them out an pay the fine.

My boss took his kids to Indonesia, both parents got fined £60 per child totalling £240 and he saved £4K on the holiday. They’re primary school age. It’s a ball ache for the teacher but an enriching experience for the kids.

It's £60 per parent, per child, per day. So did they have one child that they took out for two days? Or Two children for one day?

£240 fine verses £4000 saving seems ok, but if you had three children and you took them out for a week package deal, you'd be looking at £1800 (£3600 if you go for 2 weeks) fine on a holiday that you've maybe saved £1000 on. Not to mention the message that you're sending about how holidays are more important that education, and also what a pain it will be for the school to make sure they catch up on the week they missed.

Imagine if 30 children in a class all had a different week off - nightmare for the teacher to catch them all up.

Just go during the 13 weeks they are off school and suck it up.

My ds is 7 we took him out once for a week , got a letter from the school saying it was unauthorised but we did not get a fine.