Taking my son (8) out of school a 3 weeks before summer holidays start...

[QueeheeeheeeheenOfShadows]

Last day of term is 17th June. 3rd and 13th of June are inset days.

We have been invited for a family wedding in Boston on the 28th May. We would have to leave on the 25th May to get there in time (travelling from the north of Norway)

Do you reckon a primary school would allow this? Considering it is the end of the school year, and not much happening, with two inset days, would you let a child go off to the US for one week more than is usually allowed to take off?

We would not be able to afford tickets for all 4 of us to go, for just staying away 1 or 2 weeks, so would have to make it our main holiday, to make it feasible.

I think he would learn a lot more from exploring the US than he would from school in that time period.

I have not brought it up with headmistress yet....

You can only ask but 3 weeks is a long time. Are you in the UK?

I'm not sure if its worth 'asking', they are not allowed to say yes, you prob need to 'inform' them of absence if you decide to definately do it. Hopefully some teachers will reply. Perhaps if you say you will help him make a project about his trip to show class after hols?

Weddings are a bit different to just plain old holidays

You can only ask

(cornsilk Irrc the OP lives in Norway)

[consults spreadsheet]

lol - have no idea then!
Would be a shame if they refused it.

You could just go for 2wks.

Am confused - are tickets more expensive if you stay for less time? WHy don't you stay for 10 days? Or 2 weeks?

Tickets are not less expensive if we stay for just 10 days. But, we have to fly from the north of norway, to oslo, then on to London, to New York, and from then on to Boston. (London Boston is A LOT more expensive) and this cost £4k. It means we have a very hectic travel schedule with two children. Then we get back one week before school ends, and our holiday budget is spent just on tickets. We will have been in America, yet not seen a lot, which seem a waste, because I cannot envisage us being able to afford it again for the foreseable future.

On the other hand, we could stay a month, and experience something while we are there!

It would depend which family member was getting married
if it was a sibling then yes I would
if it was a cousin twice removed then no I wouldn't

It is my husbands cousin. Dh was pretty much brought up by his mum (dhs aunt), and she calls my dh "her eldest son". They are very close. The cousin who is getting married is my youngest sons Godfather. It is only auntie and younger brother from cousins entire family going. So of course they want us there. I love his family, they are great, and auntie has been like a really fantastic mil to me.

However, tickets internally, and hotel rooms are cheaper in May, so the total cost of the wedding will come down a lot by doing it in May, rather than in June/July.

In the UK the 2 weeks allowed is "authorised absence" and AFAIK anything over this goes down on record as "unauthorised". I don't think they will/can actually do anything to act on this unless you are seen as a persistent offender.

Many teachers/heads would probably agree that, as a one-off, your child will learn lots from the experience.

Go for it!!

I'm a yr3 teacher and would say go for it!!! The experience of three weeks in the States is of far more value than the last three weeks of term!! He could write a diary, etc....

As for school, they will almost certainly put it down as 'unauthorised' but can't do much (as in remove your son from the register, or contact Educational Welfare Officer) until he's been away for four consecutive weeks.

Book your flights!! Have fun!!

oh definitely!

AFAIK this would only go down as unauthorised if the school decided to enter it on the system as "unauthorised". If they agree to the holiday - which they might do - they can enter it as "authorised".

If this is a Norwegian headmistress, she might be far more amenable. My nephew had no difficulty in getting a month off his Swedish school last year to stay with his dad in Cambridge; they thought it was a wonderful educational opportunity.