Have you taken your kids out of school for holiday to save money

[NC2125]

Good morning everyone

Just need some perspective here please.

I’m looking at holidays for October and we can save £500-1000 if we leave 3 days before the half term starts. Is it acceptable to take a child in reception out for 3 days to save quite a lot of money, money which we need elsewhere. Is it something that people do or is it a no go? Thank you in advance.

I still recollect the impact going to Greece had on me as a child where I missed 2 weeks of school. It started a life long interest in ancient history and I learnt a lot about other cultures, food etc. A few days is well worth it.

I’ve spoken to many teachers about reasons for leaving extensively, I can’t say term time holidays has come up, not once!

Of course you can. Education in the UK is only compulsory from the age of 5, so, unless your child has turned 5 before you plan to go then you are doing nothing wrong.

Yes

I haven’t done it but absolutely would. Not all
learning takes place in school.

I would definately go for this. We always used to holiday out of term time but now as a family of 6 it is so expensive. We have just taken ours out for the last week of term, well, they went back to school for two days after we got back. It was £4000 more to go the following week. We had a wonderful family holiday, made so many lovely memories and I would do it again in a heartbeat. We missed sports week at my youngests school My DSD had just completed her mocks and is 15, my eldest DS is 13. DS2 is 5 and DD is 2. Both my DS’s attendance are still 96% after their report was sent on the last the day of school.

If you are lucky enough to be able to afford 1 holiday a year, you only get 18 summers/holidays with each of your children (unless they are willing to come with you when older) that is not something I’m willing to miss, the years go by so quickly.

Go and don’t feel guilty about it xx

I wouldn't do it but as it's only 3 days and your DC is in reception I don't think it will make much difference.

I did for primary school, but not secondary.

Genuine question, but where are the holidays that cost more in school holidays? Is it more in the UK, or is it all inclusive, or is it mainly certain countries?
I’m asking because I’ve booked a 2 bed house in the south of France for a week in mid September and flights with Easyjet. For 4 adults (DC are 19 and 20), it has cost £1250 in total. The exact same holiday in the middle of August is £1284.
Last year we went to Italy and stayed in a beautiful hotel in late June and paid about £1300 for the 4 of us. Same holiday this year in late July - £1410.
I’m absolutely not doubting that some holidays must cost more because there are so many news stories about parents paying the fines, but I’m genuinely not seeing them. I use Loveholidays and Booking.com usually.

Yes, multiple times, no qualms, just not in the GCSE zone.

@MadMumOfTwoHorrors we always get flights and accommodation separate rather than a package and if goes up through the roof in school holiday dates.

I’d be very surprised if the flights were the same price in August and September. We too have booked air bnbs that don’t alter too much month by month, but flights definitely do.

All inclusive holidays as well, you can usually see what the price difference is day by day on TUI and it’ll jump dramatically. Everyone knows you can use Center Parcs website to figure out when the holidays are.

I doubt it will do any educational harm. Trying to persuade a teenager to go to school when they want to “pull a sickie” might be harder though if you have previously undermined the idea that every single school day is important.

Absolutely yes. We’ve done this before. No biggie. You’d be daft not to in reception - no fines until year 1 (compulsory school age). And most school/LAs don’t fine for less than 5 days anyway. My husband is a headteacher, we’ve taken primary age kids out when his holidays started before theirs to get the best availability (didn’t save much but meant we could get a last minute Uk holiday).

Absolutely fine - they are only required to be in school the term after they turn 5.
I've taken my children out of school for the odd extra days round holidays to save money/make the trip a reasonable length. Both children primary aged.

without a second thought, in fact we did this year (2 days not 3), very little seems to actually get taught the week before holidays and frankly having a couple of days off with the flu wouldn’t damage your education so having a couple of days off before half term certainly won’t (well unless you’ve already got issues with attendance I suppose). I think we saved about £600, without sounding like an arse, we could afford the extra £600 but I’d much rather have it in my pocket rather than easyJet’s!

I think it’s fine in the early years of primary school. What annoys me though are the parents who claim that little Johnny or Jenny will benefit and learn all kinds of educational and cultural things from a week’s all-inclusive in Alcudia. They won’t, they’ll be too busy playing in the pool and eating too much ice-cream (and quite rightly having a blast doing so).

I would never do it because I think it sets a bad example to children and suggests to them that you may not be fully invested in their education. I accept others hold a different view and that’s fine.

I would say though that when I was choosing a school for DS I did ask the head teachers about levels of selective absence to get an idea of which schools were plagued by it as I’d rather have less class disruption if possible.

If i was that strapped for cash, going on holiday would be the least of my priorities

Yes we have done, we cannot take time off work in the school holidays.

But we live in Scotland so no fines, it just goes down as unauthorised. DC have good attendance otherwise so never been an issue.

We only stopped when DC were doing their Nat 5s then Highers.

How bitchy

Is it acceptable to take a child in reception out for 3 days to save quite a lot of money, money which we need elsewhere.

It’s unacceptable to say that you need the money elsewhere. If you need the money elsewhere why spend money on a holiday?

It is acceptable to take a child in reception out of school for 3 days because they are not legally required to be there yet, it’s optional

I prioritise education.

I reception i would say this is fine.

I'll be taking my kids out for a week either side of may HT in 2028.

Its not bitchy. Its financial responsibility. She has said she needs the money elsewhere. You dont spend your last 1k on s holiday, that's just asking for trouble.

Have you had a look?

Even the likes of a Haven holiday, prices for 4 nights start at £355 in August, or £65 in September.

Jet2 shows a week all inclusive in Majorca for a family of 4 being £818 cheaper the last week of school compared to the first week of the holidays.