Unauthorised absence and removal of child from school roll

[wickedfairy]

We have a family event (Wedding) on the other side of the world and have been refused authorisation to remove the children from school. We have asked for 16 days, which I know is a lot but we have to fly our family so far away, that we cannot make it a short trip. Basically, the children would be off school for one month, with half term in the middle (hence the 16 days).

It costs so much to go there, that we thought it could be a trip of a lifetime and we would be making sure the children would benefit from the trip – experiencing local culture and visiting historical places during the trip. I have proposed that the record the trip and what they do in a diary to share once back at school and also that we would happily take schoolwork away so that the children would not fall behind. One child is in Yr2, the other is younger – wedding is near the beginning of the year, not SATS time.

The standard letter we were sent says that we will most likely be fined, which we would accept. The very worrying thing is that it also says that the children could have their names removed from the school roll and lose their places. They both have excellent attendance (96%). Can they really do this? I am so worried and the flights are already booked….. I will request a meeting with the head teacher, but I am not sure she will accept/it will make no difference.

Any advice please? I am totally stressing that we will get back and the children will have lost their school places. They have never missed school before....

Well said raisinboys

Raisin

I do H.educate because I think education is important. I don't see that it is necessary for it to take place in a building with lots of other dcs.
No it isn't a baby sitting service, but certainly not ridiculous to not attend for a few weeks.

Why do people keep comparing education to industry. Children are not the product. You can't do X to them and be sure Y will happen. These are living unpredictable human beings.

And although there is a core of skills we teach, each child/group is on a different part of the journey along the path to mastering these. So, no there is no syllable to follow.

If the OP was at my school, I wish her well and hope she enjoys her holiday. But it would be totally up to her to close the gap of missing knowledge and skills, and solve the upsets that may happen when her child no longer has close friends as the dynamics of the class has changed in the DCs absence. Her choice = her problem! I'll get on with my job of teaching the children that are there. Just don't moan to me when the child doesn't achieve the level in end of KS1 SATs / Teacher Assessments.

I'm glad you HE, potato, because you clearly have no respect for teachers and I'm sure your DC would pick up on that.

morethanpotatoprints we're going to go round in circles with this.

To expect approval for 16 days off to attend a wedding is ridiculous.

I'll just go and try that one at work..."can I have 16 days off please, aside from annual leave, to attend a wedding?" "No! Why not? What an unreasonable boss you are."

If you don't like the school attendance rules then opt out, as you have, but you can't have your cake and eat it.

Some people really need to grow up.

Actually someone mentioned a great idea. If you can enrol in local school this can be counted as a attendance. We a actually did this with DC and it was a fabulous experience for them. They loved being in a totally different type of school with their cousins. Do check with your LA they will accept this. Also check with the country you are travelling to. If your DC don't have a passport for that country you may have to pay. But in our case the school found a way to work around that.

I think if you enrol in another school then the original school has no choice but to take the pupil off the roll.

No not when they are in another country if your LA accepts attendance this way. Ours does. I arranges it with our school and the school DC attended for a week in the other country before we left.

As said I have done this, and it was in the last school year. But you need to see if your LA accepts this.

Raisin

I don't see how it has to be a problem if dc are not in school for a few weeks. It is only because of Ofsted that schools are forced into making the decision not to allow any time off.
It is wrong as every child is different and the chance for these children to experience this life enhancing opportunity will be denied because all of a sudden absences are to count towards a schools ofsted grade. Its ridiculous and not in the best interests of the child.

It's a wedding morethanpotatoprints. A jolly, a party. You have no idea whether it's a "life enhancing opportunity".

Parents always say that as though it is some kind of justification for removing children from school for long periods. It's not.

And they never record the experience or whatever else they promise to do. If you're lucky you get a few photos or a video of a wedding and a couple of landmarks. Nothing better than can be got off the web or from a travel brochure.

Parents are within their rights to remove their children from school. They should just not expect schools to bend over backwards to support their decisions and should be prepared to face any consequences of their actions. Something that we are always telling our children.

We do not, and will never agree on this one.

Over and out!

I do know its a life enhancing opportunity
There are many educational values to it as well. The dc will learn so much just through conversation and meeting friends and family. Learning about other cultures, climates, folk lore for example are all beneficial. If I thought hard enough I could even place its value in relation to the nc, as this seems so important to people whose dc attend school.
Raisin Just because you fail to see the educational value of such an opportunity through lack of imagination, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

NewName

I have every respect for teachers, I was one myself. It is bureaucracy I have no time for tbh. I also think that systems should be challenged so we can improve and move with the times.
My dd has lots of teachers I haven't noticed any disrespect yet and would soon step in if I did.

Nothing lacking with my imagination morethanpotatoprints.

In my experience people resort to insulting others when they are insecure or their argument is not up to robust scrutiny.

Sound familiar?

Educational experience reminds me of what the school used to say about school trips to France. In reality the only cross cultural learning going on, was snogging French boys.

:) Probably

I don't think your dc would miss any education even if you kept them off school for 6 months

They would miss a lot. You could HE but if you taught them nothing and they rejoined the class after 6 months, they would be behind, no doubt about it.

scarynuff

Behind what? A curriculum they don't use, teaching they don't experience. I think we will have to agree to differ on this one.

Tiggy

My point was not that the OP or anybody else having time away from school should justify the educational value, but a trip like this could easily boast educational value.

Thanks again for all the points of view! I suppose we did not fully realise possible implications of our request but I do genuinely think the trip will be educational. We enjoy the type of trip where we travel around and see lots of the natural habitat, beach life is not really our thing.

The main point of the trip is the wedding, but it is a one-off opportunity to see a country and it's indigenous fauna and people.

We will have to have a think about it all and weigh up all the pros and cons, some of which we had not previously considered.

Thanks again!

OP, it might also be worth pointing out to you that if the school did take the draconian decision to de-register your child and bring somebody else in instead, then you need to apply for the place again.

You don't have to apply for the place again. As was pointed out upthread, they can't de-register your children if they know where they are. If they tried to do so, you could take judicial review proceedings in your children's names to have the places reinstated, and you'd get legal aid for it. I think you need to quote the sections referred to previously and tell the head that you really don't want to fall out about this, but the law clearly states that he will not be legally entitled to take the children off the roll and you expect the school to comply with the law. If he doesn't agree, suggest that he takes legal advice and mention that you will take judicial review proceedings if you have to. If nothing else works, maybe the prospect of being on the wrong end of an order to pay court costs will make him think again.

OP - have u taken ur children out of school like this before?

is this trip likely to be the only time u can do it (I.e is it once In a lifetime kinda event)

u get 2 weeks for half term right & ur asking for an additional 2 weeks (meaning 10 days).

if u know ur children will not experience this kind of trip again then I would just take them but at the same try shortening the trip to meet school half way (whatever that might be I.e 3 weeks rather than four)

just taking the kids ignoring & paying the fine etc is just bad parenting - sorry.

like some others have said try writing back to the .HT & really explaining the children's function I.e meeting family for first time (if it is) & so on.

wish u luck - :)

I have no intention of starting a big legal battle!! We have an appointment to speak to the head and gave already explained our reasons in 2 letters.

I would not go if there was any chance of losing school places. Will see what comes of our appointment