Term Time Holidays

[dwordle]

I have to be honest I take my children on term time holidays. Largely to avoid the crowds but it's also about the cost and the temperatures.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/02/children-summer-holidays-term-time-civil-disobedience-parents-england-wales
In the summer we spend in Devon where we leave the caravan for 5 weeks on a nice inland site. The children spend there entire summer down there and I travel down for long weekends etc.

But the holiday abroad I take in school time. I have been fined numerous times and taken to court by the LEA, but I'll be honest I've not paid a penny. My opinion is they are my children and I take responsibility for them. They worked hard at school and all 4 got good grades. Had they been struggling I think I'd of taken a different approach but I'm a great believer in adapting to challenges rather than one approach.

Thankfully my youngest is just starting GCSES so I won't be taking the term time breaks and I won't face another day in court. But going to court and being threatened with a custodial sentence is to put it bluntly ridiculous for something that is my right as a parent. My child my decision no one else's. I decide whether my children are well enough to go to school and I decide when we go on holiday.

There are parents out there who's kids are badly behaved, don't do any homework, disruptive and miss weeks and weeks in absence....yet take a holiday and tell them you're going on holiday I have to pay a fine. Don't pay the fine and a powerless court will threaten you with all manner of things which they are powerless to enforce. I mean what a waste of money.

I agree it's frustrating trying to deliver a curriculum and then a child goes missing for a week or two , but truth is the homework is delivered electronically so it can be done anywhere. As a parent I make sure it's all done....that's my job as a parent.

For many parents and August holiday is so expensive that it may mean they actually don't get a holiday. The last time we took a week break to Cyprus in August it was close to 6000 pounds.

Fuck all the problems children on holiday at all different times causes the teachers then? Too bad that all the teachers also have to pay for holidays at high demand times, maybe they should just go absent, which is very much the message you're giving to to your children for when they become adults and go to work.

I don't understand why you haven't been fined or given a community penalty for contempt of court for non payment of fines, you would be in this area.

I don't think it is your right as a parent.

The school has terms and conditions around attendance and if you wish to use their service you should follow the T&C's.

I don't think you should be fined or prosecuted, but I do think your children should lose their space at the school.

But going to court and being threatened with a custodial sentence is to put it bluntly ridiculous for something that is my right as a parent. My child my decision no one else's. I decide whether my children are well enough to go to school and I decide when we go on holiday.

But it doesn’t work like this does it? When you send your child to a state school, you are agreeing to a legal duty to ensure regular full-time attendance. If you don’t agree to those terms then home school.

The school states an attendance rate, my children are always above the threshold. Also I take the curriculum with me and they keep up. I also take my time with maths and I often cover things like scientific principles. English and languages I leave to my partner.

As I say I adapt my decisions around what is needed. If they were behind I wouldn't be talking holidays.

No one is talking about children who take religious leave or concessions for biblical events that fall outside the Christian calendar. I honestly can't see the problem.

As for home schools I honestly can't see how that is good for anyone...child , parents or the state. We are talking about two weeks in a year not repeated absence. We are also talking about staggering the mad rush and causing a spike in travel chaos. We need to adapt and these rules are too restrictive

It may be two weeks a year but 30 kids in a class all taking two weeks at a time is a bloody nightmare. It’s why we spent many years doing family camping holidays in the U.K.

If you are ignoring the fines, arguing the toss and repeating the offence you are more likely to get a custodial sentence and be flagged as a neglectful parent. I would focus on the impact that will have on your children rather than the rights and wrongs of the law.

Your children have a legal right to that education however dim a view you have of the provision, and the rules.

I personally think it’s selfish and poor role modelling as it’s the ‘I’m alright Jack’ mentality. Schooling would be chaos if everyone did what you’re getting away with. But I’m sure you won’t care as long as you get what you want.

You decide to enter the state school system you agree to abide by the rules including not taking term time holidays. You are sending your children an awful message telling them rules don’t apply to them.

If you want to use something free I think you should stick to the rules they set out. If you think they're ridiculous rules you don't have to use the service they're providing.

No fines in Scotland and loads of people go on term time holidays.

No one froths about the mouth over it either.

I don’t think it’s your right, because if all 30 kids were absent for 2 weeks each the burden on teachers to catch everyone up is huge, and those teachers can’t take term time holidays!

I think one of the greatest disservices parents can show their children is that rules don't apply to them. Leads to many many problems that individuals make in society, especially if you have sons. So don't expect your children to follow rules in future, when they become adults - why should they, eh, they know better even if it's illegal and they end up in court?

The courts are powerless, there's no room in
prisons and who looks after my children while I'm away, who runs my company which employs 80 people. I'm afraid the courts have better things to be doing which is why many parents simply brush them off. It's pointless fighting courts it's far better to ignore them as irrelevant inconveniences.

The prisons don't need people like me when they are are kicking rapists and violent thugs out early. There is currently a crisis in prisons to the point we may actually run out of space this summer.

There are rules and then there are rules, some rules should be broken if they clearly ill thought out or simply bonkers.

There needs to be a proper debate in parliament about school holidays and making schools more flexible. In that I mean teachers should also be allowed to take leave in term time. I know teachers and summers are not all holidays, they work throughout the summer, they are expected to run after school events for absolutely nothing in terms time. While it's a great rewarding job I think a lot of people seem to think it's an easy career choice.

My view is that we should be able to take our children out of school for one to two weeks a year between the ages of 5 and 13. This avoids crucial build up to the GCSES. We should abolish SATs in primary as again these are irrelevant and another hurdle for schools at an age where we are meant to be nurturing young children.

The responsibility for catching up missed lessons is on the parents and these days this is very easy through things like sparks and Google classrooms.

In twenty years it's highly likely that teaching will largely be done through AI. Human interaction will be limited and while I still believe there will be school I don't think it will be recognisable.

The burden is on the parents to catch them up, be proactive. Download the syllabus, talk to the teacher about what they will be missing, download the content, set up a AI generated scheme of works to work to, set homework based on the scheme of works....it's all very easy now because it's already be done and accessible via a paid AI subscription. Claude and Chat GPT both have UK education platforms. Set them fun games on Kahoot or wayground.

My daughter was poorly before her end of term maths exam, I went through her maths book established the key stage she was working to and set up.a work sheet on Claude using the schools scheme of works....the worksheet I made was very similar to the exam that she got set.

There are things we can do as parents to help the school regardless

I agree with you OP. Mine are adults now and escaped undamaged despite having time off for holidays. There was no concern when the school was closed to be used as a polling station or when teachers went on strike so I don’t know what the difference is. Obviously they never went in their GCSE years but I see no problem otherwise.

Not all parents can take annual leave in school holidays either.

We don't take ur children out of school for holidays. I think it's important that they are there to have input from their qualified and experienced teachers. I can't replicate that, despite being a qualified teacher. I also value education and want them to value education and that message is undermined by taking them out of school unnecessarily.

I'm sure we'd be able to afford better holidays if we did take them out. We had a lovely holiday booked for May 2020 that used a couple of inset days to make it affordable. Unfortunately that was cancelled and we've never been able to rebook as the dates/prices haven't worked. But that's just life.

I’m a teacher and I honestly, seriously DGAF who goes on holiday, where they go or when they go.

Two weeks in a year on top of the 13 weeks off that they already get. Just to save some money because you don’t like crowds. Wow.

I think you need a cup of tea and a 5 minute break 😅 other countries don’t have these stupid rules and teachers manage just fine

You own a company big enough to employ 80 people and the cost of a holiday outside of term time is a consideration?

personally, I don’t give a shit when people take holidays - I have zero skin in the game.
But, we know the rules. We choose to send our children to school, therefore we should a) abide by the ts&cs, or b) pay the fine without whinging about it.

Had they been struggling I think I'd of taken a different approach

English and languages I leave to my partner.

Well, that’s good news at least.

set up a AI generated scheme of works to work to, set homework based on the scheme of works....it's all very easy now because it's already be done and accessible via a paid AI subscription. Claude and Chat GPT both have UK education platforms.

If this is your preference then don’t come crying when they can’t get jobs because AI has taken them all or there’s no food because it’s drained the local area/planet of water.

I agree it’s our responsibility to deliver rounded and capable humans into the world but your general attitude stinks.

I think it’s ridiculous you can’t take children out in term time. We used to get holiday forms as kids (late 90’s/early 2000’s) and always used to go abroad in term time. All three of us kids have A-Levels, degrees and masters, and now high paying jobs. Do we ever feel the pain of missing a random week of year 3? No.

I think if your children are not going to grow up as users who take whatever they want from life regardless of other people that they need to learn that some things have to be done even when we find it a bit inconvenient to stick by the rules. If you want the rules in other countries then live in one of them.

Why don't you pay the fines?