Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Original poster

Taking children out of school during term time

89 replies

mummywoowa · 16/04/2012 11:25

Now I dont want to turn this into a big arguement, just some advice plse...

My dd's school will not authorise holiday anymore.. Sad

We have booked our holiday in term time as my dh could not get time off in sch hols due to work, due to being new there and holidays already taken up. So our original dates had to be changed.

Now we carefully tried to consider as much as we could and felt that the first 2 weeks of Sept would be best as would only need 7 days off sch.

Both our dd's will not move classes, SATS are not too close, and is only start of term so first week espeically will only be settling into routine and book naming (I could be wrong.... Hmm ) plus both dd's seem to be doing well at sch too.

To get this authorised, I am hoping dh will get a supporting letter from his manager confirming that he cant take the time off when sch needs him to but do you think this is enough??

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
YouChangeWithTheWeather · 16/04/2012 11:34

You're going anyway, whether it's authorised or not?

DeWe · 16/04/2012 11:48

Heads in this area very much have their hands tied. The CC will not let them authorise holidays at all. So even if the head thinks you have a good case they cannot authorise it.

Having said that I'd have thought the first 2 weeks of the school year was a dreadful time to miss. Could well get back and find that friends had made new friends, they'd missed things etc.

AMumInScotland · 16/04/2012 11:55

If the school have said they don't authorise holiday, then I don't think anything you write is going to make any difference. You can write explaining that DC will not be in school between X dates, and give your reasons. But the school still won't authorise it, and it'll go down as unauthorised.

It's up to you if you believe your reasons outweigh that! You might want to tell the actual teachers, out of politeness, as well as writing "officially" to the head. But only because it's polite to let them know something that affects them, again its not going to make any official difference - if they don't authorise holidays then they don't authorise holidays.

redskyatnight · 16/04/2012 12:05

My DC go to schools where leave is authorised at the head's discretion. But the start of term is one time when they outright won't approve - because they feel it is very disruptive. If you have to take holiday in term time I would think trying to take the end of term would be better.

Original poster
mummywoowa · 16/04/2012 12:06

oh I have spoken to one of dd's teacher and she said that time of year wouldnt be a problem... making friends is not a problem with my girls, seriously... and will of course speak to other dd's teacher when I next see her.

And yes, have booked it... I went by these 2 web sites and couldnt see a huge problem...

www.kent.gov.uk/education_and_learning/school_attendance__behaviour/absence_from_school/holidays_during_term_time.aspx

and this one more helpful..

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/SchoolLife/DG_4016103

Going on those web sites, doesnt seem a bug issue... maybe I got the wrong idea Hmm think whole thing is confusing.....

OP posts:
OP posts:
SmallShips · 16/04/2012 12:12

Our LA has implemented a blanket ban on term time holidays apparently.

I submitted a holiday form this morning and fully expect it to be returned unauthorised despite my 'good' reason for taking a holiday when we are.

Our school also used to ban any leave at the beginning of term, as that was when they started new topics and the children taken out were struggling to catch up.

Original poster
mummywoowa · 16/04/2012 12:15

I see what your saying, I really do, but I also know what my dd's school are like for starting anything and they wont be doing a lot in the first week... I could ask them for the project,if they know and say we can start some whilst away...

OP posts:
SmallShips · 16/04/2012 12:21

Are you going to cancel your holiday if they refuse to authorise it?

pumpkinsweetie · 16/04/2012 12:22

I had this problem and the head is re-considering the authorisation again.
Im hoping it is a yes as my daughter has only ever had time of for being ill and this will be her first holiday.
This whole new truancy system is punishing the wrong people and unfortunetly the heads have their hands tied due to goverment targets

RiversideMum · 16/04/2012 12:34

As a teacher, I take quite a dim view of parents approaching and asking for work to be set whist they go on holiday ...

clam · 16/04/2012 12:39

The first two weeks of the Autumn term are, without question, the absolute WORST time to miss, whatever your dd's teacher has said. I suspect she might have been telling you what you wanted to hear. And with respect, you have no idea whether they'll "be doing a lot" or not. That's not really your call to make.
And as a teacher, I certainly would not be setting work - if I even knew in sufficient detail in July what I'd be covering the following term. If you want to take your child out of school that's your choice; you have to suck up the consequences.

Original poster
mummywoowa · 16/04/2012 12:48

No not cancelling holiday... I am not the only one to have taken my children out.. tbh... with this new law, there will end up with lots of children with unauth abs..
I would rather pay the £50 fine than lose my holiday depost and quality time spent with the family.

OP posts:
sunnyday123 · 16/04/2012 12:52

if you are confident with the children keeping their friends/settling back okay etc, I wouldn't think twice about - many kids are off sick much longer than that and manage.

pumpkinsweetie · 16/04/2012 13:01

You are right op i wouldnt cancel either quality family time is important too & you have a very good reason for the absence considering your dp cannot get any other time off.
Im going to pay the fine too if my child isnt authorised.
Its people like op that are penilized by this new rule, because a lot of jobs will not allow for holidays it half term

Original poster
mummywoowa · 16/04/2012 13:01

Thank you Sunnyday123

Its such a hard case, beacuse I totally understand but at the same time, this will be our only holiday of the year and if am honest prob will be the last big one as we have had big help with this one (not that they know that I know..and doesnt count) but just want to spend some holiday abroad, take children on a plane and have some fun whilst they are young. We didnt have the money to do that when they were even younger either... wish we did.

I do see education is very important and if my child was off a lot then I'd undertand too..

also there is a child in yr 1 who leaves 15 mins early every day since starting reception... now I know its non of my business and dont want to know why... but surely she is missing far much more schooling than my children would..

OP posts:
Original poster
mummywoowa · 16/04/2012 13:03

Thank you too Pumpkinsweetie Smile

OP posts:
DeWe · 16/04/2012 13:46

You do realise it's not just £50? It's £50 per child, per parent, per day (I thought it was per week, but have been corrected). That's £200 a day for you. So it could cost you £2000.

pumpkinsweetie · 16/04/2012 13:50

It isnt, just looked up gov website Biscuit

sunnyday123 · 16/04/2012 13:50

DeWe i can't believe that the figure is right? A school could never get away with that surely? In which case, just ring in sick for a week....!

YouChangeWithTheWeather · 16/04/2012 13:51

Our head won't authorise time off for music exams, ballet exams, orchestra workshops Wink

pumpkinsweetie · 16/04/2012 13:56

& also they cannot fine you for children that are not in education(0-4) or for the children you have that have been authorised from separate schools so i think DeWe might be getting confused

clam · 16/04/2012 13:56

I fully understand there are lots of extenuating circumstances for term-time absence and the Government's nanny-state attitude to what we do with our own children annoys me intensely.
However, at least be honest about your reasons. Things like, "they never do anything that week" and "everyone else does it" doesn't quite cut it for me.
But dewe where is it written that the fine is per day per child etc..? I bet a lot of people don't realise that. But then I guess it can't really be a blanket fine of £50 for one day or 10, as that wouldn't be fair either. The whole thing's a stupid idea anyway. They're targetting the wrong people anyway. They reckon the 'middle-classes' are a soft target and will be shamed into either paying up or not doing it in the first place.

clam · 16/04/2012 13:59

Youchangewiththeweather Seriously? What was the wink for? Surely those things count as "other educational" on the register codes and therefore don't need to be authorised as such.

sunnyday123 · 16/04/2012 14:02

the gov website says £50 flat or £100 is not paid within 28 days - £50 seems worth it!

Swipe left for the next trending thread