What are the chances of school authorising this leave?

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Just thought I would try an get idea before I send the letter in. Basically I never take the kids out of school in term time. But my parents have been offered a free holiday cottage for a week in the lakes. It sleeps six so my parents asked if we would like to go with them. But the offer is not available in school holidays . I don't want to miss offer of free holiday, as we are skint. What do you think?

It will depend a little on the policy of the school.

Many schools now authorise no leave in term time - so your children's absence would be unauthorised. You are unlikely to be penalised by the local authority for a single 5 day unauthorised absence, however, so the absence is then a matter for your conscience. Unauthorised absence doesn't mean that you can't go, just that those days off will be recorded as unuathorised.

Other schools have a policy of authorising up to 10 days each year, though this is IME increasingly rare.

The 'general mood music' will depend on when the holiday is taken, Final week before the school breaks up in July would cause a lot less sideways looks from the staff than would the first week back in September, and if your children are in Years 2 or 6 it would be as well to find out when they are planning to do SATs testing before setting the dates you will be away.

Thanks. Year 4 and 5. Also the week before they reak up in feb.

In our area it isn't up to the school, they have guidance from the LEA which would put it as unauthorised. You can still go but it will be unauthorised on the register.

ours automatically gives 10 days per year- we are taking kids out for 6 days in may - mine are never off sick so their attendance is probable better than most of their friends

It would be frowned upon round here unless you have a good family reason for it being those dates. No more 10 days guilt free.

My school doesn't authorise any absences but I think it's a great opportunity for you and your children and that you should go. Even if the school don't authorise it, make sure that you give the reasons behind taking your children out. Then the class teacher will understand why and be more sympathetic.

what happens if you have unauthorised leave

do you just get a letter saying you shouldnt have done this .. or is there something more serious happens when you take kids out on unauthorised leave ?

we are new to the school hols this year

and yes I would go... I think a family holiday is part of a balanced upbringing

To be honest not a lot will happen if your child misses 5 days of school. It will go on their permanent records and county will be informed. As long as there are not masses of absences in the future added to it then I'm sure it will be fine.

They probably won't authorise it - most schools have been getting stricter recently because of pressure from above on attendance statistics. It's usually easier for them to clamp down on generally law-abiding supportive parents who take occasional holidays than to tackle the actual persistent truants for no good reason...

If you go anyway, and it is marked down as unauthorised absence, the worst that can happen is that you will get a fine - I think the going rate is £50 per child per week, so you could be looking at £100. They could also threaten you with the attendance officer, but unless your DCs have also taken other time off (or been ill a lot) that is less likely.

If you can afford the £100, I'd do it, specially if you can't normally afford a decent holiday. The last week of term tends to be all 'fun' and DVDs anyway.

My dc school would say no and send a letter threatening you with a fine if you do. I know plenty of parents who take their dc out of school, but to my knowledge, no one has actually been fined.

I hope you enjoy your holiday.

A few people in our area has been fined and it was £50 each child to each adult if that makes sense so £200, and I can't afford that. We have had a tough year with ds2 he is being asssessed for autism and he self harms. Head teacher has be very supportive. I don't know if he would take that into account. But don't want to put that as a reason in the letter

Really depends on the school. Our school authorises up to ten days but never in may (assessments) and rarely in September. Sickness absence is taken into account, along with time of year and the reason for going in term time. It runs on a points based system so it's reasonably transparent.

We took dd out of school for 7 days last year to visit her grandmother and extended family overseas - for various reasons, it wasn't possible to go in the holidays, and the headteacher was quite happy to authorise it.