Taking children out of school during term time

[mummywoowa]

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

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

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.... ) 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??

No - really it isn't fine to blanket ban. Neither the legislation nor the DfE guidelines support that. But I take your point that OFSTED don't particularly care. If schools were going against any other DfE guideline they'd be down on us like a ton of bricks.

Agreed. I think this one is seen as a positive step to improve attendance in individual schools though

The school I'm referring to also refused a child holiday to go away with her terminally ill father one last time. Another reason why despite its excellent results it's absolutely not somewhere I would want my child to attend.

We've never had an absence for a holiday unauthorised and have gone on holiday in term time for years and years and have one authorised in June. We have always found and still find that the HT's have always considered extenuating circumstances. Mine are rarely absent apart from the holidays and if I'm honest I'd pay the fine rather than not have a holiday tbh.

How many parents do this but used the Ofsted tables when choosing a school? Absence levels can stop a school being highly graded so many now have a blanket ban on term time holidays.

Children have 13 weeks off and 52 weekends, plenty of time for family time. A holiday isnt essential. Education is important, teaching children that its fine to skip school to have fun might bite back when they truant from high school for the same reason.

Holidays are not essential. Dont see the point in the OPs post, she booked knowing she planned to take the children out of school in term time so has already made the decision. As for expecting the poor teacher to set work for them and to then catch them up after (new term start is very busy) whilst the other children in class wait patiently, well words fail me.

Omg how many posts lol... wow!!

Er mummyofone - have you actually read every single post or did you just read a few and thought hmm I shall get my word in without actual facts.

I have somewhere in the middle of these posts have put....
....You know what I don't have to explain myself to you...

I got what I needed from thus post so you can just jump back on your high horse b4 pointing at me and if you'd read all posts you'd seen that!

sorry but actually getting fed up and kind of regret asking if my head was gonna get chewed up...

Maybe read all posts and you'll see that I am being reasonable and DON'T expect anything of any teacher nor anyone CASE CLOSE!!!!!

You are going now so it is set in stone but for future reference, or for anyone else thinking of taking their child out of school the last week or two of term are the best time, if there is such a thing, the first week or two is the worst, it is when foundations are laid for further learning.

You did say you were going to ask the teacher for the project, OP.

I hate being asked for work - the assumption that what's being missed is easily accessed with or without teaching input is daft.

Also, I think you'll find it's 'case close' when everyone else is bored of discussing it - not just you.

Just to clarify: From now on, with the new government decision, does this meant that schools - like my sons - that allow limited authorised absence for holidays each year will no longer be able to do this unless they stretch the meaning of exceptional as wide as it will go? And if kids go anyway, their parents will inevitably get a fine?

I feel all this is going to do is set parents and schools against each other. One of the reasons my sons school has such a lovely atmosphere, is that the teaching staff and the parents respect each other and work together. There is always discussion, never dictats. I would have thought a much better preparedness for life than 'turn up every day, and never have fun, even when missing school for a holiday means missing the end of term haribo and rubbish tv on a white board.'

When dh cant get timer off work but I can, I just take the kids on holiday myself. Is that not an option for you?

insanityscratching You've claimed "extenuating circumstances" going "on holiday in term time for years and years " How?

op, we are in the same position as you, dps job is not a new one he has been there years, BUT some years he is unable to get holiday during school holidays, he works in a childrens home and as such there need to be MORE staff at work during the school holidays and he has to take those children on holiday so will be away for 2 wks of the summer holidays anyway.

last year we were lucky enough that he got time off in the summer break, this year we are not so we have booked a holiday for sept, mine will be back at school for a week and a half (they start back on a wed i think?) and then will be having 5 days off, we have also asked for the tiem to be authorised, ih avent heard back yet but when i explained to the HT he seemed fine about it, particularly if my dp provides a letter from his work to say he cant get leave during the school holidays as this is ONE of the reasons school WILL authorise absence, its int he gove guildlines as a reason for allowing holidays 'parents whos leave time is restricted by their employer' or something, they CAN legally ask for a letter from the employer stating that no time off can be had in the school holidays obviously otherwise anyone could just say that is there reason!

anyway my dp works long hours, evenings, wkends etc, he only gets one wkend off a month so family time for all 7 of us is limited anyway and a family holiday where we can all spend time together is important, i also emphasised the educational aspects of our trip (to an eco lodge on an eco farm in devon, fits in with the schools theme of trying to be eco and energy saving!) and as i said the ht was fine with it tho i think it goes to the school govenors to authorise?

so i totally understand where you are coming from, get a letter from your dh employer and hopefullly you will be ok :)

I have a son with severe autism who we need very specific accommodation for and who wouldn't be able to cope in peak season. Each and every holiday has been authorised for all my children on this basis because the HT's (and we are talking five children in assorted schools) have recognised for years (ds is 17) that our justification is a valid one and as a family we need a holiday . I don't feel guilty, their education hasn't suffered , I don't ask for work (they wouldn't be doing it anyway) and I will continue to take my youngest out of school (only one beside ds in school now) whilst ever we take ds on holiday with us.