Taking child out of school for holiday - what would you do?

[Willow4987]

Hi

DS1 is 4, currently in reception

We’re taking him out of school for the last week of term to go on holiday. Our reasoning is, he’s under 5 so doesn’t have to be their legally and it’s reception so he’s not missing crucial weeks eg SATS etc

so my question is - would you be upfront about taking him out for holiday and accept any fine (and also who do you tell?) or would you say he’s sick for the week?

@Welshfiver we won’t be paying for the nursery, but he will be attending nursery using the 15 hours gov. Funded hours.
haven’t applied for the 30 hours just yet.

@PotatoPudding thats a relief! I just hope they don’t remove him. I will inform them before the nursery closes for summer holidays that he would start in October, but worried they may remove him. They don’t seem very organised ( took ages to enrol for april due to their error and still haven’t received written confirmation so will have to contact them).

maybe I should just look for a new nursery and let them know in advance he will be starting from October instead of September and just let him attend this one now until summer holidays.

@Yeahilooked oh that’s brilliant! Does your LO go reception? I thought we could do this, but I attended a children’s centre and the worker said she knows people who didn’t send their children to reception/nursery ( because the child didn’t want to go) and the police came to their door. I’m assuming (hoping) maybe because the mum hadn’t informed the school of the absence. So maybe it will be different in my case but I just got super worried.

@sleekcat aw defo no intention of lying! But I just got worried incase they say we can’t.

@Willow4987 aw brilliant thank you so much! Hope you didn’t mind me jumping on your thread like this.

Hi what are the rules for under fives starting September 2024? My son is starting reception in England in Sept. My family is in Ireland and we go home every few months to see them, we can’t afford the Friday night - Sunday flights so was hoping before my son turns 5 next September to have a few trips back say thurs morning - Sunday. We will still get fined? Thanks

@KathDrake you would be better off starting your own thread, or searching and reading one of the many already written about this subject: but essentially the law is changing and it's application appears to be LEA specific. So asking on here probably won't get you your correct answer, just a bunch of opinions.

This! Even when older I have had to take them out occasionally for other reasons. Always told the truth.