Anyone taken their kids out of state primary for travel/adventure? Is it allowed?

[ynewman]

I would like to do a family 'gap year' and travel around the world or perhaps live in another country for 6 months, put them into school there to learn another language. I cannot find out info as to if this is allowed. Do the school keep your place for you? Would be interested to hear from anyone who has done it, was it worth it? What they did but most importantly, can you tak eyour kids out of school and keep their places so they can return???

no, not allowed to keep the place. surprised you think you can

Thanks tiggytape. I am not willing to jeopordise losing the school places, I have 2 children at a very good school, but want to find a compromise as I so want to travel with them for a bit. I hear of people doing it but cannot find any clear rules - is it just up to each school to decide. It is a very grey area. I will definately home school them when away or would put them into a school. If not 6 months, I thought, a term? Half a term? How do people do it?

I have known several children do this, and even get back into their over-subscribed Junior school. If it is after year 2 you have a greater chance of being able to get a place via appeal.

Is the school place really worth much more than the enriching experience of travel?

Some schools will hold your place. I think it depends on whether they are over subscribed.

They are in years 4 and 2 currently and so want to do it but I dont think it would be worth risking losing their places or even just one losing their place. Stress which would ruin the trip for me! They would be very unhappy not to return to their friends and school. I thought if I went from half term summer term say 1st jun to 1st sept then only missing half a term. Thought I might find someone on mumsnet who has done it?

It is wierd that there is no straight rule about this. I guess I just need to ask the school. The school is oversubscribed. I guess if I was on the waiting list I would take the chance to grab the space. Thanks for the info. Conclusion is - maybe... probably not possible... will ask the school...

You can ask but IME no over-subscribed school would hold a place for even half a term with no guarantee you'd be back.

if you went 1st June - 1st Sept then the school would have to call in the Educational Welfare Officer, and you may get fined for unauthorised absences, but I doubt you would lose your school places.

Thanks all. I will let you know what they say in the new year. Interesting that noone has come forward with stories of having done it or trying to and not being able to. Hope someone will as would be best indicator. Very unclear. Interesting...

We have done it! But in context may make more sense - academic family in a school with a lot of academic families, so the HT is used to people saying that they're doing research abroad and coming back after a term/6 months etc.

It is a very over subscribed school with people doing all sorts of shenanigans to get places, but I think HT likes the academic families with their children kind of bringing up the tone of the place and lets them get away with it.

And they did go to school while we were abroad.

half a term does not sound so bad, travel can be educational. i know a family went to brazil for 4 weeks one year and returned for the September, wanted to do it again and were told the school could not keep places for them

Thank you loveinidleness. Lucky you! Where is your school? It does sound like it is up to the HT but seems maybe a bit unfair. If he does not let me and then lets others then pure favoritism - cannot see how you get away with it! ALso, nothing special about my family, could easily be replaced! I guess if she turns me down then I'll know she doe snot rate us or that she is not willing ot open the floodgates. Don#t know if anyone else has done it before. Thank you for info! How long did you go for, how many kids, where did you go?

You have to take into consideration things like OFSTED too. If the school is due for an inspection, while you are away or soon after, then the head may turn down your request.

I don't know anyone that's done it, but if you take it as unauthorised absence that's a big hit for the school's attendance figures which are so important now, so I imagine many would rather you left. Ours has classes full to capacity even in KS2, whenever someone leaves there is always someone to take their place. You could put your DCs on the waiting list, if you are high up the criteria you may get back in again quite easily.

ynewman I wouldn't want to get our HT in trouble by accidentally outing the school. I think it's not officially up to them, more she stretches a point and just doesn't tell the LA people.

Fair enough loveinidleness. I will see what happens when I ask... this rain makes me want a couple months in the sun all the more... where did you go?

We did it last year - DDs were at end of Y2 and Y4, PM me and I am happhy to talk further. We went June 20th - December 20th so only a term missed of Y3 and Y5. Was WELL worth it,and cant believe we had only just flown home this time last year! We have a blog to, so I can share details of that if you are interested...

We did it four years ago when ds was 11 and in Primary 7 (scotland), going to India for ten weeks, where we lived in a remote village while I taught English (volunteer) at the local school.
I had absolutely no problems at all and the school were very supportive, saying that they thought it would be a brilliant opportunity / education for ds. They gave him work to do while he was out there, which he did in the mornings (reluctantly, I'm sorry to say, because he's a lazy little sod [grim]) and in the afternoons he sat in with one of the classes that I taught. He settled in fine when he came back and I have to say that it never even occured to me that the school wouldn't keep his place, although I live in Scotland and maybe the system there is different with people more likely to go to their catchment area school than outside. Also his particular year was quite undersubscribed.
All in all, it was a great experience for him and he still remembers his time there fondly, although dd who was four at the time was a different story.

Have emailed ynewman

Why not leave it 2 years and go when your eldest is in Y6 after the point when you have been offered your secondary school place? If the timings work out your eldest would miss doing SATs which I would only think is a good thing (yes I am a teacher- the secondary will just do Teacher Assessments when DC gets there).

Then you would only have to worry about finding a place for your younger DC.