Taking children out of school for holidays during term time

[jojoh1979]

Hi, I was wondering if someone can give me some advice on the school system regarding taking kids out of school for a holiday?

I have been looking at holidays for a couple of weeks online to see about how much it would be to book a holiday in the summer break. It's absolutely crazy how much the prices go up and to be quite honest we cannot afford the extra cost incurred.

For instance, booking a holiday for 10 days last year in Kos (4 adults, 2 kids) cost 4,900. The exact same holiday for this year is 6,200........................beyong belief!

If i was to request time off to go away during term time, I'm guessing this would'nt be allowed despite my kids have 98% attendance at school the last two years.

If we were to just go ahead and book a holiday regardless of one not being allowed, what kind of fine am I expected to have to pay?

I obviously do not want to take the kids out of school but the costs of a holiday are simply out of control and we would not be able to pay that kind of money.

Every thing you need to know is here:

www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jan/29/parents-children-holiday-school-terms

imho, that Guardian link is a lousy one.

Every LEA is different, OP, but the majority have adopted a policy of £60 per child per parent per episode of absence (whether that episode is 1 day or 15 days). Our LEA has a policy of applying the fine only once per half term at most, too. You could just ring your LEA to ask what their fining policy is.

So

• Odds are virtually nil that you'll get AA, just write to let them know why the kids will be absent;
• Odds are you will be fined £120 per child for the absence. Fine will not increment to a larger crazy amount as long as you pay it promptly (you'll probably be invoiced 2-4 months later).

This still saves you £1000 I think, for 2 school age kids, so pretty much a non-brainer.

Alternatively you could go somewhere you can afford during the school holidays and not take risks with your children's education. The available research indicates a clear link between the level of absence and GCSE grades.

It's absolutely crazy how much the prices go up and to be quite honest we cannot afford the extra cost incurred.

Then find a holiday you can afford.

It's not that crazy, it's basic supply and demand. Less people want holidays out of school holidays and thus those times are cheaper.

If £5k is acceptable then how is £6k suddenly not affordable?!

For my family we are talking about the difference between being able to afford any kind of holiday and not being able to do anything (except camping, which is fun, but I need a holiday when I get home!)

If your 10 days in Kos has to be reduced to 7 or you have to take your 10 days somewhere in France or Spain instead to make it affordable in holiday time, you are still more fortunate than most.

Its still not right, some families are completely priced out of any form of holiday due to the price increases.

I work part time to enable me to be around to drop off/pick up the kids and my hubby does overtime to make up for my obvious pay cut. I sell things on facebook and ebay to make a few quid and any spare cash goes towards a holiday.

my parents and other family members go on holidays out of term time a few times a year and always tell us the ships and hotels are always full so I think the travel companies are over exaggerating a little here.

if prices were controlled a lot more, more families would be able to take holidays and not just the ones who are better off than your typical joe bloggs.

Just want to book a decent holiday for us without being ripped off by travel companies.

Then stop going through the big companies for all inclusive. There are cheaper options available.
Ok so you want the all inclusive with a hotel, teletext holidays.
You want a bargain, rent a villa and do the flights seperate.
Even have a look on hukd.

I go on holiday during school holidays and don't pay anything near either of those amounts.

Lots of people go on holiday during term time. I personally don't agree with it. A holiday is a luxury not a right.

True, shopping around does give some varied prices. The search shall continue.

its not right to go away during term time but you can see why people do it.

Its just great to go away and seeing the kids smiling faces and having a chance to relax with them for a change instead of being at home tired from working and school.

Been on budget holidays many a time and had fun ones and god awful holidays too.

just wish families were not priced out of this luttle luxury when we slave hard all year to try and give kids a fun filled holiday

OP, where have you been for the last year or two? You sound surprised at this holiday business!

We have a fun filled holiday in Cornwall for 2k every summer in a large, gorgeous cottage with my extended family. You don't need to fly for a holiday or sunshine.

If you can't find a nice holiday for £4900 in August then I think you may have to adjust your expectations. Not being able to afford a holiday and not being able to afford the holiday you really really want are two different things.

I do have a lot of sympathy for those who would struggle to afford a nice caravan holiday in England due to these holidays but am a bit meh about people whining about holidays that cost thousands and tbh if you can afford nearly £5000 you could find the money to pay just over £6000 but that would mean cutting back elsewhere and maybe you don't want to do that?

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Why can't you have this holiday instead??? 4 adults, 2 children, 4 bags, transfers, car parking, full board. 7 nights, 1st Aug.

There's not a lot of difference between 5k and 6k, OP!!

Its still not right, some families are completely priced out of any form of holiday due to the price increases.

There are plenty of holidays you can have for 5000. You're not being priced out of a holiday.

If you go not on a package, and go somewhere that has summer holidays staggered compared to us, you can save a fair bit. Or Italy/Spain in the summer half term, again, build your own holiday,

Sorry if you have that kind of budget don't take your kids out of school.

Our budget is a lot less yes luckily we will be borrowing il's caravan and will be holidaying in the UK but for less then £500 for two weeks in school holidays. If you've got a budget of £5000 you've no excuse and should not be taking them out of school. Really you've no idea.

There are loads of school holiday holidays available for your budget......

You might have got some sympathy if you were saying you could not afford to even go uk camping in school hols.....

I'm usually very sympathetic to these posts. I teach in an area of huge social deprivation. Some of my children have had 5 days off for a family holiday in a static caravan that grandma has paid for. It was the only holiday they'd ever had and the parents could only afford it because they didn't actually have to pay. They took the class bear and it was the absolute highlight of their year. I really have no problems with this.

Moaning that a 10 day holiday in Kos will cost a bit more than the last time you went, is rather irritating actually.

I'm just going to ignore the prices you've quoted OP (no judgement about that, we went skiing in March).

How is your relationship with your Head Teacher? As I said, we went on holiday in March in term time. But prior to booking it, I spoke with our Head to inform him of our intention. He told me he obviously could not authorise it, but cut us some slack and would not inform the welfare officers. I assume that was because our attendance is very good too generally.

Try taking with your head and outline how much time you're going to be missing and when... Maybe they wouldn't mind so much if it was right at the end of term etc. Hth.

U was expecting some struggling family just wanting a week at the seaside.

I was all set to say that I think this whole fine business is really unfair and that there's not much in primary school that a holiday wouldn't teach you. And when it's the difference get seen a holiday and no holiday it's bloody mean.

But your moaning about a 5k holiday costing 6k. You are not being priced out of a holiday there are loads of cheaper ones you could go too in the holidays.

Hardly the same thing at all

Of all the posts bemoaning the legislation regarding termtime holidays this whining justification is the most ridiculous I've seen. I have sympathy for those struggling to afford any kind of school holiday break, but none whatsoever for this situation.

OP it's parents with your budget, expectations and entitlement who have been instrumental in the difficulties now being experienced by many poorer families.

Go somewhere you can afford and stop moaning.

The parents at ds's old primary who annoyed me the most with taking their children out of school during term time were those who tagged one week onto half term or Easter so they could have a 'cheaper' two week holiday. Why not just go for one week (the actual holiday time) and be grateful you can afford to take your children abroad at all?

Why take them out when they have 13 weeks already? A couple near us are unemployed and one year they their 4 kids out of school in june for a week, another week's holiday in july and another week in august. Seems like benefits go a long way for some! Tbose of us who work/worked were lucky to get one week away some years.