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Original poster

Do you take you kids out of school for family holidays?

137 replies

Hai1988 · 24/01/2011 11:37

Just wondered if anyone on here does.

DS is in reception and we will be taking him out of school for a week at the end of June

Are on a tight budget so couldnt afford the summer holiday prices, plus i h8 how busy these places are in school holidays.

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RMCW · 31/01/2011 13:26

You make a fair point elsie If my son had missed a lot of school;
a) the HT wouldnt authorise absence and
b) I wouldnt take him out as he would obviously need to "catch up"

I know that my dsis takes my dnephews out every year at the end of term and its never been a problem as they both have excellent attendance records.

LadyOfTheFlowers · 31/01/2011 13:28

Oh God. :(

A quick scan of this thread has me worried I am failing DS1 as I intend to take him out of school just before the holidays to stay with the ILs in Spain for 2 weeks.

NicolaMarlow · 31/01/2011 13:28

I do find people saying that there are so many great educational opportunities when going away on holiday slightly annoying. What about having those opportunities as well as going to school - ie have your holiday in school holidays?

The cost aspect is a very important one - but we don't have enough money to go on holiday in school holidays - so we don't go on holiday. It is not a necessity.

But maybe I am just bitter and jaded Grin

CaroBeaner · 31/01/2011 13:38

"My dc have learnt more whilst on holidays with us than they ever would sat in a classroom with their peers;"

Can I ask why you send them to school at all, then, if this is the case? There are 13 weeks a year for out-of-school learning!

I am sure the off week or two over the course of a child's school career is OK, (though we don't do it) but please, those of you who feel that a school over-emphasises the importance of one or two weeks education, make sure you are not the self-same parent who marches in to see the Head every time you feel 10 mins of a lesson or a homework task has been spent not exactly as you would like it.

RMCW · 31/01/2011 14:07

caro I did home school ds1 for a year actually and I can assure you I am not one of those parents who marches in to see the teacher to complain that the children are not learning enough/the right thing/homework issues etc etc.....

Its the teachers job to teach. They know more about it than I do.

I am my sons mother. I know more about him and what is best for him than they do.

Nuff said.

laughalot · 31/01/2011 14:11

Im sure if teachers had the opportunity to go on holiday in school time to save them some pennies they would Grin.

fifi25 · 31/01/2011 14:14

My kids teachers automatically give them a summer pack that they would have got in the 6 weeks holidays, they just get it two weeks earlier. I dont see the problem if people want to ask the school for work, it doesnt take long to print off any relevant worksheets they may be missing or give a list to the parent to print off. They are not going on holiday this year due to financial circumstances. I will probably not be going next year either unless i can get an unbelievable cheap deal. My kids have a high attendance and the school have no problem with it. If they did i probably wouldnt go.

MrsGuyOfGisbourne · 31/01/2011 14:24

Ye. And one of our school governors does as well...

fifi25 · 31/01/2011 14:29

laughalot - one of my daughters teachers left to got to Hong Hong for a year, she appeared a month later. I dont know if she didnt like it and came back or this is what was said to the parents instead of saying she going on holiday for a month. I dont begrudge her, she probably got the chance to go to Hong Kong and took it, I would do the same.

Giddyup · 31/01/2011 14:33

Yep, off to Australia for 3 weeks next Friday, DS will only miss 10 days of school and it has been aproved by the Head.

We were supposed to go at Christmas to see my Dad but with DD due at the beginning of Nov we decided it was too soon. It was a good job as I had EMCS and she was overdue.

DS missed a week a couple of years ago when went to Antigua at Christmas, it was again to see my Dad. It wasn't authorised by head as his previous school had awful attendance probs, but they didn't fine us.

DS is 8 and has fantastic attendance the rest of the time. I don't recall him ever having a day off school sick and I am happy with his progress (level 3s in yr 2 SATs). To be honest falling behind might do him some good as he is a cocky little so and so who thinks he is a bit too clever sometimes.

laughalot · 31/01/2011 14:36

I am a travel agent so I do know if teachers had the chance for a cheapo holiday they would because they always moan when they come in to look at how expensive it is Wink.

RMCW · 31/01/2011 14:36

Have a great time giddyup

Giddyup · 31/01/2011 14:39

Thanks I am beyond exited Smile if only I couls shift the couple of stone of baby weight I still have 12 weeks post partum by then. Clothes shopping yesterday was about the most depressing thing I have done in a while !

themildmanneredjanitor · 31/01/2011 14:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Giddyup · 31/01/2011 14:40

agghhhh exited ? My laptop spell checks and it has made me rather lazy when on a computer that doesn't...

Feenie · 31/01/2011 14:50

fifi25 "My kids teachers automatically give them a summer pack that they would have got in the 6 weeks holidays, they just get it two weeks earlier. I dont see the problem if people want to ask the school for work, it doesnt take long to print off any relevant worksheets they may be missing or give a list to the parent to print off."

This assumes that the worksheets would be easily completed without the direct teaching input - in which case, they are not at an appropriate level, since a child can already complete them.

It also assumes that completion of worksheets is the preferred method of learning - this is not great practice, and would not happen at my school.

If I am asked for work, I either explain that the work would be hard to access if the direct teaching input is not given, give topic headings of what may be missed (improper fractions, etc) or I have been known to give this type of pointless time filler worksheets when pressed. But I leave the parent under no illusion as to what they are.

Giddyup · 31/01/2011 15:01

We have just been asked to complete a project while we are away

fifi25 · 31/01/2011 17:17

Feenie - Thats all my kids get in the 6 weeks plus books as there is no teacher to give them any input. A lot of my daughters homework in KS1 are 'pointles worksheets', number lines etc and a reader. She gets a big project to complete each term. I dont think the teacher would give them pointless worksheet so there must be some value to them. We also get a holiday sheet so we can fill in what we have done and what we have learned. My kids school is ofstead graded as outstanding so i wouldnt say the teachers would give out 'pointless time filler worksheets'. The teachers at our school would rather give them something than let them go with nothing. Fair enough its not as good as being in school and having lessons but its better than the nothing you would give them.

Feenie · 31/01/2011 18:22

Sheet a child can fill in without being taught the skills = pointless timefiller worksheets to appease parents and make them feel as if their children are doing something.

I mean - why bother with teachers at all? Just buy books from WHSmith and let them fill them out for the whole of KS1 - I'm sure there must be some use to them.

silverfrog · 31/01/2011 18:34

yes, I am about to (and I didn't think I would ever say that, tbh)

we are taking dd1 across to America for therapy (she has severe ASD). to ensure she gets the best form the therapy, we are going early - the week before - so she can adjust (different situation, different food, hell even the different accents can throw her)

sometimes these things are not clear cut

fifi25 · 31/01/2011 18:37

Doing something is always better than doing nothing at all. I would say the worksheets my daughters have had at home have helped them with their work in lessons and especially so in maths. They dont get random worksheets, they do actually run with what they have been doing in lessons.

RoadArt · 31/01/2011 19:03

I think we have to agree to disagree. Some are for, some are against, and that wont change anyones mind.

I like Feenie's comment:

"This assumes that the worksheets would be easily completed without the direct teaching input - in which case, they are not at an appropriate level, since a child can already complete them.

^It also assumes that completion of worksheets is the preferred method of learning - this is not great practice, and would not happen at my school.

If I am asked for work, I either explain that the work would be hard to access if the direct teaching input is not given, give topic headings of what may be missed (improper fractions, etc) or I have been known to give this type of pointless time filler worksheets when pressed. But I leave the parent under no illusion as to what they are."^

I agree with all that Feenie says here. Worksheets are pointless in isolation, all they do is show a parent that a child can or cant do something, but it doesnt motivate children, especially when on holiday and probably makes a parent feel happier that their child is "doing schoolwork".

figcake · 01/02/2011 13:43

But sometimes worksheets are all we have to fall back on when the teaching is appalling. I really appreciate having them available as a resource in general. DCs are not averse to them either.

MarkLiamPiggott · 17/07/2011 11:52

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet.

Elibean · 17/07/2011 12:14

I don't, but then I've never had good reason to.

And IMO it does need a good reason - though also depends on age of child, time of term/year, etc. At dds' school, where many parents can't afford trips during holidays and many children have families abroad to visit, people put in a request and most are granted.

I think its a discretionary thing - there are times when a trip is very important for some reason, and equally there are times when missing a whole chunk of school would be very disruptive either for the child, or his/her class.